migliore + servetto covers a long coastal strip in south korea with colorful marine world patterns

'waterfront door/ into the ocean' by migliore + servetto is a large urban graphic intervention that extends along 500 meters of the coast in south korea.

yasmina karam July 30, 2021 3 min

milan-based studio migliore + servetto architects collaborated art sohyang art gallery to include 40 korean artists to visualize a huge marine pattern that extends along 500 meters of the coast in the suyeoung district, south korea. ‘waterfront door/ into the ocean’ is a large urban graphic intervention in which the creation of rest areas – in full respect of social distancing – becomes an opportunity to redesign the waterfront.

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all images by hoyeon shin and JUNLEEPHOTOS

migliore + servetto architects designed a dense and colorful pattern that evokes the marine world. it is an urban graphic intervention that involves the redevelopment of the millak waterside park. 40 local artists were called on to translate the sketch designed by ico migliore into the large scale of the waterfront. thus, the project is not only the expression of the enriching dialogue between art and design, as similar disciplines in terms of research and tools, but also an example of the fruitful cross-cultural exchange between italy and asia.

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the dense texture conceived by ico migliore is an expression of the research that the architect has been carrying out for a long time with the studio. it is aimed at reflecting on the concept of the value and role of patterns in our surroundings, which is an extremely current topic concerning proximity and distance between people and contexts. the drawing itself marks the pathway along the coast and suggests a safe distance for those who may stop here. it interweaves the design of the rest areas within the continuity given by the wave sign and marine elements.

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the rhythm of the narration develops from five 4x4meter-large wider areas that constitute the same number of thematic squares. each one is characterized by a specific color and drawing to punctuate the pathway, offering a useful reference point for orientation. the pattern, therefore, takes shape around these larger thematic areas, from which a series of additional signs in various scales spread out. sharks, octopuses, smooth hammerheads, and many others lay around in the waves of this graphic ocean.

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the pattern emphasizes the city’s wonderful view over the sea and forms a punctuated pathway that addresses marine nature and relationships between people. the result is a place that invites people to inhabit it and children to discover it. it is the outcome of a project that looks towards a new modern concept of urban space to respond to the changing needs of the pandemic context, which are claiming more and more open-air spaces aggregation while always remaining respectful of social distancing when required.

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new urban tapestries are thereby generated that are able to look at the city as our ‘collective home’ and redesign it. as such, it is a dynamic space whose appearance changes according to different times and seasons, as well as depending on the presence of people who dwell and constantly shape this place.

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