AWARD
Nodeul Global Art Island Named Best in Public Architecture Among Seoul's 30 Citizen-Selected Designs of 2025
▴ A design shaped after Korea's mountains — a cultural landmark bringing together exhibitions, performances, and rest
▴ Waterfront cultural spaces to open in phases from the second half of 2026, with full completion targeted for 2030
The awards ceremony for the 2025 Architectural Design 30, Selected by Seoul Citizens, was held on June 23 at Taepyeong Hall, Seoul City Hall. ⓒGansam
Nodeul Global Art Island, designed by Gansam and Heatherwick Studio, has been named the best work in the public architecture category of the 2025 Architectural Design 30, Selected by Seoul Citizens (2025 서울 시민이 뽑은 건축디자인 30선).
The program selects outstanding designs from among the projects reviewed by Seoul's architecture committees over the course of a year. Experts first shortlist ten candidates in each of three categories — general architecture, multi-family housing, and public architecture — and the final ranking is determined by combining the results of a public vote.
Nodeul Global Art Island is a project to transform the whole of Nodeulseom into a cultural and artistic space where exhibitions, performances, and rest come together. At its core is the idea of returning the island to citizens in full — the entire ground level, the waterfront, and the air above — where only the western portion had been open.
Main aerial view of Nodeul Global Art Island. The design centers on "expanding public experience over the Hangang River, a platform connecting the city and the river." ⓒMIR & Heatherwick Studio
The design concept is "SOUNDSCAPE," which shapes patterns drawn from the sounds of nature and live music into the form of Korea's mountains. Resembling waves of sound, the form responds to Seoul's skyline and the outlines of the surrounding mountains, connecting the scenery of mountain, water, and island in a poetic way.
The project consists of the Sky Art Garden and the waterfront cultural spaces.
The Sky Art Garden is an elevated walkway linking free-form, petal-shaped spaces inspired by Seoul's seven major mountains. It offers layered views of the sunset over the Hangang River and the city beyond.
For the waterfront cultural spaces, work is under way to create an ecological garden and a play garden, and to repave the aging riverside walkway. Gap stairs connecting the ground level and the waterfront are also planned, improving access for citizens and offering a wider range of experiences for those who stay.
Gansam, together with Heatherwick Studio and POSCO, reviews a mock-up of the free-form curved stainless steel to be used on the soffit beneath the elevated garden. September 2025. ⓒGansam
Nodeulseom draws attention for its engineering as well as its design. Beneath the Sky Art Garden is a free-form soffit — the underside structure of the canopy — combining curved and asymmetrical geometry, which calls for high-precision fabrication, advance technical verification, and close coordination between structural analysis and construction technology. Existing structures are preserved as far as possible, and structural columns are placed at pinpoint locations to minimize interference with the existing environment.
The waterfront cultural spaces will open to citizens in phases from the second half of 2026. The Sky Art Garden is in design development and is scheduled to break ground within the year. The project as a whole is due for completion in 2030.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said that "Nodeul Global Art Island is a project that goes beyond building a cultural facility to create a future-oriented public space where nature and art coexist," adding that it will "continue to communicate with citizens and reflect expert opinion to make Nodeulseom a cultural and ecological asset to pass on to future generations, and a global landmark representing Seoul."
Kyonam Chin, CDO of Gansam, said, "This award is all the more meaningful because it came not only from expert review but from citizens voting for the project themselves," adding, "It recognizes both Heatherwick Studio's design imagination and Gansam's technical capability in realizing it, and we will answer that expectation responsibly by completing a place that people come to love in their daily lives."
The 30 selected works, including Nodeul Global Art Island, are available to read free of charge in the 2025 Excellent Design Collection.
Nodeul Global Art Island-
· Use: Cultural and assembly facilities, Class 1 & 2 neighborhood living facilities
· Location: 302-146 Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
· Site area: 60,818.40㎡
· Gross floor area: 11,808.70㎡
· Scale: 4 floors above ground, 1 below (elevated section: 2 floors above ground)
· Maximum height: 54.84m
· Building coverage ratio: 41.06%
· Floor area ratio: 19.25%
· Architects: Gansam · Heatherwick Studio
· Design team
Taesung Kim, Kyonam Chin, Heekyung Choi, Seunghan Lee, Cheonro Kim, Joonseo Sohn,
Hojik Seo, Ulyong Moon, Hayan Kim, Yongsoo Kim, Jaechul Lim, Hajung Shin,
Minsung Hwang, Hansol Ji, Billy Tan Choo Khee, Younghwan Ryu, Kangin Choi, Minjoo Park,
Haneol Kwon, Wonjun Woo, Jieun Na, Seonghun Jeong, Seungwan Cho, Jinwoo Baek,
Donghyeon Kim, Eunchong Park
2026.07.24