Project: Closed Competition 2°  Prize

Location: Korea

Geographic coordinate:  37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Year:  2015

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ABSTRACT

This proposal responds to an international design competition calling for the ex novo creation of an Italian-inspired borgo set within the mountainous landscape of South Korea.

The masterplan develops along a vertical axis tracing the natural topography of a steep slope, establishing a layered sequence of urban spaces that descend toward the water’s edge. At the heart of the composition are three interconnected public piazzas, conceived as the social and spatial core of the borgo. These are enriched by winter gardens—glazed, climate-responsive spaces that extend seasonal use—and an open-air theatre, designed to host cultural events while framing panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

The program includes a neighborhood-scale retail cluster, providing essential goods and services to both residents and visitors, thereby supporting the daily life of the community.

The axis culminates at the river’s edge with the design of a small-scale port. Rather than opposing the force of the water, the architectural gesture seeks to attenuate and reinterpret it, transforming the encounter between land and river into a pedestrian experience reminiscent of Venice’s liminal waterways. Here, the built environment dialogues with hydrology, offering moments of repose, reflection, and passage along the water.

The project synthesizes Italian urban archetypes with Korean topography, reinterpreting the borgo typology not as a replica, but as a cultural translation—rooted in memory, yet conceived for contemporary life.​​​