Ark (方舟) Dong

An ark is typically characterized as a square vessel. When we gazed upon Seoul, it instantly evoked thoughts of Noah’s Ark. Noah’s Ark is described as a vessel capable of sheltering all that exists in the world. That is why Seoul, a place that seems to encompass everything, resonates with Noah’s Ark. We interpreted Seoul as a sort of modern-day Noah’s Ark, where everything has been ‘gathered’ within its bounds: nature, culture, residences, and people. Drawing inspiration from Noah’s Ark, we aimed to capture Seoul’s amalgamation in the form of a square ark, where everything is aggregated and floats upon the water.
The Ark, a compilation of Seoul, encapsulates every facet of the city and interlinks its mountains, waterways, and breezy paths over the Han River. Leveraging the span of the 750-meter bridge, we aimed to accommodate various infrastructures in the large space. By placing UAM, residential complexes, and commercial facilities at the upper level and connecting them with bridges, residents of the floating city can effortlessly access any facility on foot and be connected to the inside and outside of the river to facilitate fluid traffic in and out of the floating city. At the lower level, green areas such as forests, lawns, and plazas are arranged alongside the waterways, connecting the natural beauty and landscape of Gwanaksan and Bukhansan Mountains on either side of the river and encompassing all that Seoul has to offer within the area.