The Busan Metropolitan Opera House competition provides an opportunity not only to develop a new performing arts hub for south-eastern Korea, but also to re-consider the icon in architecture and its presence in the 21st century city. The contemporary understanding of the opera house is as a monumental object that is detached from the city, and designed to be appreciated through selected vistas. In the opposite of this, ‘Intermezzo’, designed by INDEX Architecture, seeks to adopt a language of continuity with its context. More images architects’ description after the break.
While patiently respecting the complex programmatic organization that a major performing arts centre requires to function properly, the design positions itself as an interstitial landscape occupying the fluid and ephemeral space between land and water. Ultimately, ‘Intermezzo’ aims to provide a world class opera, commercial and entertainment facility, as well as an iconic landmark operating as a catalyst in the re-connection of the urban fabric of Busan with its historical relationship to the sea.
