Winner of the Busan Opera House competition by Snøhetta
22/10/2012.
1st. prize winning proposed. [Busan] South Korea. 11/10/2012
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
The Opera in Busan is no longer just a place to see and be seen but a place to meet. A place to be together, in our common cultural context.
The general form is rooted in the korean philosophy of kun (heaven) meeting kon (earth) meeting kam (water), comprised of two contrasting curves; one embraces the sky while the other sets the construct firmly into the earth, next to the sea. the subtle curves in the structure conceptually strengthen the ideology, as each separate element reaches to meet each other in specific moments.
The heart of the opera house holds the auditorium, considered to embody the spirit of a musical instrument in itself, wrapped in solid cherry panels to differentiate its function from the public zones surrounding it, with special attention to perfect the resonance of each performance. The wood sections along the walls can be angled to modify and enhance the acoustics for each individual event. An exterior skin wraps the core, made up of a two-way system of cables that hold glass and marble sections creating a light-filled interior and transparency to the exterior, as a largely public space and also integrates it into it's unique context.
Snøhetta is an integrated architecture, landscape, and interior design company based in Oslo, Norway, and New York City, formed in 1989 and led by principals Craig Dykers and Kjetil Thorsen. The firm, which is named after one of Norway's highest mountain peaks, has approximately 100 staff members working on projects around the world. The practice pursues a collaborative, transdisciplinary approach, with people from multiple professions working together to explore diverse perspectives on each project.
Snøhetta has completed a number of critically acclaimed cultural projects, including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt; the National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, Norway; and the Lillehammer Art Museum in Norway. Current projects include the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center site in New York.
In 2004 Snøhetta received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and in 2009 the firm was honored with the Mies van der Rohe Award. Snøhetta is the only company to have twice won the World Architecture Award for best cultural building, in 2002 for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and in 2008 for the National Opera and Ballet in Oslo.