The Project is located in Mia Dong, at the south of the Gangbuk district, in a transitional zone between the Samgaksan-Dong area (very densely populated, following a urban layout of high residential blocks), and the Solsaem-Ro area, also residential, but much less dense, based on a domestic scale urban design of 2 floor buildings and neighborly streets.

The building will articulate this dual character offering two different scales to each of the neighborhoods it has to connect.
The site has also a quite prominent slope between its north boundary and the south one (there is a level change of 12 meters). We will take advantage of this fact, exhausting the vertical options of the cultural facility (on the south of the site) so as it can dialogue with the apartment blocks scale. On the contrary, the sports facility, located on the north, will emphasize it horizontality to adapt to the scale of the area.

The unity between both buildings will be achieved by means of a great public park, which not only will cover the roof of the sports facility, but will climb through the walls of the cultural facility allowing an increase on the green area of the original site.

This park will accomplish a triple role:
– It will be a landmark that will revitalize the whole area and will gather the citizens.
– It will be a green lung for the density of the south area.
– It will also work as an extension of the cultural facility for the summer, holding cultural and education programs, workshops, etc., that will implicate the participation of the neighborhood.

For the arts education center it has been considered a vertical gradient from the most public uses on the ground floor to the most private ones on the fifth floor. Education program is located over the black box auditorium (which is on the first floor and connected to the lobby), and the operation area has its own roof terrace. Most of divisions are planned flexible to adapt to multiple configurations.
The sports facility is located towards a glass façade bringing the activity to the street.

Regarding the facilities, the guideline has been a combination of different sustainable and passive systems with low emission technologies, orientation, and the use of the thermal inertia of the architecture. It is considered geothermal energy for cooling and heat support to a biomass heater.
The rainfall will be conducted to underground cisterns for the garden watering, and the photovoltaic panels will allow the storage of electricity. The organic waste will be composted.

It is planned the use of a smart grid system for a combined energy and resources management.