Floating high-rise landscape architecture

The park on the ground level is inspired by the lush vegetation found in the light shade of Korean mixed forests: the shade-tolerant species from the shrub layer of these forests have been blended into a harmonious composition and placed in a gentle hilly landscape. The staggered height of the plants enhances the perspective effect and gives the space visual depth. The vegetation, which seems exotic to European eyes and consists of deciduous and evergreen species selected with the help of a plant sociologist specialising in Korea, exudes a lush yet subtle aesthetic. Walkers move along curved paths through a world of varying shades of green and the delicate pastel colours of the flowers that change throughout the year. This planting hides the building’s supports, enhancing the floating spatial effect. Where the cooling shade is deepest under the centre of the larger building, a pool of water multiplies the little daylight and draws dancing patterns on the surrounding surfaces. A perimeter seating wall separates the park from the city.

The climate on the roof resembles the climatic conditions of the mountain world with wind, dryness, extreme heat and cold. The roof landscape is therefore inspired by Korean mountain vegetation. In a waving world of grasses and rhododendron species stand small groups of striking Korean pine trees, each of them an individually grown sculpture shaped by the wind. The differentiated height gradation of the underplanting suggests spatial depth. The sparse basic structure of the planting contrasts excitingly with the richness of the plant life in detail. Flowers set delicate, seasonally changing accents. The orientation of the entire complex traces the movement and direction of the mountain vegetation, which is shaped by the wind. This high-altitude landscape is accessible via a wooden deck, its extensions reaching deep into the space and creating spaces of retreat amidst the abstracted mountain landscape.