Busan is home to 3,5 million people and the second most populous city in South Korea, extending along the south-eastern coast of the peninsula.
It is a rare stretch of South Korea not affected by Korean war bombing and destruction. As a result traditional houses and a small port of artisans and fishermen remain.
Studio Migliore+Servetto of Milan is working on the project for 5km of abandoned railway overlooking the sea, giving rise to a themed park called the Blue Line Park.
Construction will begin this year, with architects working on different narrative levels to provide a new waterfront for the city. Designers took history and local context and territory into account.
Blue Line Park reconciles the city with the natural landscape thanks to use of technology and sound design, as well as a new cultural hub for events, concerts and collective activities.
The linear park features two main entrances, with two new urban squares that serve as a junction with the city. On one side are densely packed streets.
On the other, multifunctional spaces emerge near the old terminal of Songjeong railway station. Thin blades of grass in a bright yellow-green tower mark the meeting point.
This structure marks the transition from the urban to the natural environment and introduces visitors to a path punctuated by thematic areas that offer different experiences and named Islands of Listening, Knowledge and Encounter.
Islands of Listening are sound installations aimed at connecting visitors with the natural element that surrounds them. The Wind Installation of light bamboo rods rustle in the wind.
A 'Listen to the Sea' zone places visitors in dialogue with the marine environment through large ear drums that act as a sounding board for the echo of the sea;
Play the Symphony encourages participation with Korean metal bowls transformed into percussion instruments
The protagonist of Listen to the Nature is a wooded area with wide Corten steel arches inviting visitors to stop and listen to the sounds.
Views of the Bay of Busan act as a backdrop to the Boat Theatre, an open-air performance space halfway along the route with a shape that evokes the hull of a boat.
Finally, the Rainbow Tunnel hosts concerts and events, with coloured windows that act as a filter for the external landscape.
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