{"id":234303,"date":"2025-10-23T05:54:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T05:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/234303\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T05:54:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T05:54:13","slug":"oma-unveils-hillside-redevelopment-project-in-busan-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/234303\/","title":{"rendered":"OMA Unveils Hillside Redevelopment Project in Busan, South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"OMA<\/a>Busan Slope Housing. Image Courtesy of OMA<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1035303\/oma-unveils-hillside-redevelopment-project-in-busan-south-korea<\/p>\n

The Busan Slope Housing project by OMA<\/a> addresses urban redevelopment on the steep hillsides of Busan<\/a>, South Korea<\/a>, drawing on the city’s topographical complexity and historical settlement patterns. Developed in collaboration with the Busan<\/a> Architecture<\/a> Festival and the Department of Housing<\/a> and Architecture<\/a>, the project explores strategies to rethink hillside neighborhoods<\/a> while responding to both contemporary<\/a> housing<\/a> needs and the social and spatial legacies of these areas. Rather than replacing these areas with conventional high-rise<\/a> estates, OMA<\/a> envisions a flexible, context-responsive framework that integrates contemporary<\/a> housing<\/a> typologies with the site’s inherited structure.<\/p>\n

\"OMA<\/a>\"OMA<\/a>\"OMA<\/a>\"OMA<\/a>\"OMA+ 4<\/a><\/p>\n

\"OMABusan Slope Housing. Image Courtesy of OMA<\/a><\/p>\n

Busan<\/a>‘s hillsides, historically a refuge for displaced populations during the Korean War<\/a>, became home to informal settlements<\/a> made from salvaged materials<\/a>. These communities adapted to the steep terrain and formed dense, resilient neighborhoods<\/a> that have been integral to the city<\/a>‘s urban identity. However, as these areas have aged and faced challenges related to infrastructure<\/a> and capacity, they are increasingly replaced by high-rise<\/a> developments. These new structures prioritize spatial efficiency and modern amenities, but raise questions about disrupting the original topography<\/a> and erasing the informal, community-driven networks that once thrived on the slopes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"OMABusan Slope Housing. Image Courtesy of OMA<\/a><\/p>\n

OMA<\/a>‘s proposal focuses on two contrasting sites: Yeongju, located in the city center<\/a>, and Anchang, set between forested ridgelines. Their differing contexts provide an opportunity to test a reproducible redevelopment strategy that mediates between the fine-grained fabric of informal settlements and the large scale of modern estates. A key feature of the design is its emphasis on circulation as a primary organizing element. A pedestrian<\/a> network links public nodes, bus stops, monorail stations, schools<\/a>, markets, parks, and cultural landmarks<\/a>, ensuring that daily life flows across the slopes<\/a>. This framework reveals natural “pocket neighborhoods” shaped by gradient, access, adjacency, and views.<\/p>\n

Related Article The Korean Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale Marks 30 Years with \u201cLittle Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion\u201d<\/a> \"OMABusan Slope Housing. Image Courtesy of OMA<\/a><\/p>\n

Within these clusters, OMA<\/a> negotiates key spatial trade-offs: slope retention versus vehicle access, views versus daylight<\/a>, shared landings versus granular entries. Four housing typologies emerge from this process: terrace housing, urban<\/a> villas, row housing<\/a>, and towers<\/a>, each of which is tested for its adaptability to slope<\/a>, solar access, orientation, and proximity to public space<\/a>. The resulting composition places towers on high points, villas in central nodes, row houses along ridges, and terraces embedded in steeper areas.<\/p>\n

\"OMABusan Slope Housing. Image Courtesy of OMA<\/a><\/p>\n

Rather than proposing a uniform urban model, OMA<\/a>‘s strategy suggests a context-sensitive approach that results in a patchwork of interrelated zones. Through the planning of stairs<\/a>, landings, terraces<\/a>, and small squares, the design aims to transform circulation into communal spaces, maintaining the informal, social connectivity that defined the original hillside communities.<\/p>\n

\"OMABusan Slope Housing. Image Courtesy of OMA<\/a>\"OMABusan Slope Housing. Image Courtesy of OMA<\/a><\/p>\n

In other recent news from South Korea<\/a>, the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism has opened its fifth edition<\/a>, under the direction of Thomas Heatherwick<\/a>, and will run through November 18. At the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025<\/a>, the Korean Pavilion marks its 30th anniversary with “Little Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion”, commissioned by Arts Council Korea and curated by the Curating Architecture Collective<\/a>. Meanwhile, Foster + Partners has unveiled its proposed design for IOTA Seoul I, a new mixed-use development in Seoul.<\/a><\/p>\n