FERRY TERMINAL, SEOUL

Our proposal entry for this international competition is more than just a vision for the Ferry Terminal on a wide river dividing a dense capitol city in a growing global anchor.  We are applying planning principles, with humanitarian and timeless architectural theory that stimulates the limits of awareness and human experience.  Inspiration is derived from the universal act of a child throwing a stone into the water, then in a few years learning to skim the stone across a plane of water.  With this in mind, we create a wave form computer model which stimulates a complex geometric hyperbolic paraboloid surface.  We then approximated this wave form into a continuous series of ruled surfaces to make a geometrically developed roof.  Our Ferry Terminal is the unique jewel piece in a focal point refining the edge of a district, participating in the renaissance of cultural landmarks fulfilling an experience that completes an overdue function of liniking both sides of the half mile wide Han River crossing.

 The floating building design concept originates with a drop of water.  The Yeoui-Naru Ferry Terminal offers a place for relaxation as a landmark of nature floating on the Han River.  The site plan form is inspired by the regional distribution pathway of the Han River.  The integration of people with the river front merges nature with landscape and water.  East meets west between the embankment sides of the Han with ferry service.  Exposure, awareness and education of the river bottom and alternately showcases exhibits about the river habitats with interactive light and sound projections.  During monsoon season, a flexible floating bridge viaduct, designed to rise and fall with the variable river level, serves as a connector path and will be illuminated at nighttime.  The offshore floating berth acts as an effective wave breaker, for the local wind waves, and ship generating waves, making a tranquil and safe marina.