ARC River Culture Pavilion

Since 2012 the River Culture Pavilion, also known as ARC, rose up the shores of Daegu's river Geumho in South Korea. It has been built in course of the World Expo for an initiative that seeks to preserve the ecosystems of the rivers in the region. 

The bowl-shaped structure is clad in an EFTE plastic pillow, an original combination planned by the New York based studio Asymptote that used a team of twelve designers and two Project Directors, to create this fancy construction.

The building is a strong focal point set against a stunning panoramic landscape. The vessel-shaped form of the architecture gives a play of transparency and geometry, which creates an ephemeral effect, heightened by light reflections from the shallow pool on the base.

The River Culture Pavilion donates a cherished contrast with the interior of the structure. Indeed, besides the walls, the visitor finds a dark and hermetic space, which houses an immersive multimedia environment. The experience goes on in front of a 60-metre-long screen that illuminates the area by projections of the abstracted and re-conceptualised qualities of the surrounding site and nature. The duality of the creation is between the combination of real world outside and the virtual universe that the visitor can find and live inside the building.

These two perspectives harmonize on the roof, where the sky is reflected in a large pond and the view of the valley around the ARC is opened to the visitor via a completely walkable panoramic terrace.

It may seem paradox, but these 3200 square metres of building even emphasize the natural beauty of the landscape, making the whole picture a true treat for the human eye.

Bianca De Ritis

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE IN SOUTH KOREA