Water Leisure Complex Redevelopment
The distinctive natural features of Busan are its many hills and beaches. There is a small deserted port nearby Gwanganli Beach which is well-known as a summer vacation destination in Korea. The port is located at the outlet of the river into Gwangli Beach. Around the area, there are several public facilities including a museum, theater and yacht racing port. However, these buildings are disconnected, lacking both pedestrian ways and public open space due to the high volume of road traffic in the area. In order to foster the integration of this area into a unified cultural complex, the port becomes a public water sports complex.
The flow of the river is redirected into the complex to engage fragmented leftover outdoor spaces around the area. To enhance pedestrian approaches, a new overpass deck is introduced to connect the separated areas. This is a starting point to establish a cultural belt of Busan that takes into account the local citizen’s authentic culture and caters for distinctive tourism.
The reinforced waterfront, retrofitted pedestrian paths, and water flows allow for citizens to appreciate environmental assets and increased public engagement.