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27 April, 2012

The Yin – Yang Opera House

This is a project designed by Office25 Architects that won the Silver A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award for the 2011 - 2012 Period.

Greek version

The award
The "A' Design Award and Competitions" is an organization focused on innovation, technology, design and creativity. The highlighted projects are awarded every year with the A' Award, which aims to promote the excellent qualifications of best designs, design concepts and design oriented products & services.

The project
The project concerns an Opera House situated in the marine cultural region inside the re-development district in the northern seaport, Junggu, Busan, Korea. The site area is 34,928sqm.

The design process, through some architectural gestures and various symbolisms, aimed to create a building that would be an indisputable landmark of Busan. The need of such a landmark derives from the unique characteristics and dynamics of the city. Busan already enjoys exceptional natural and urban environment along with privileged location. All these factors consist of a perfect canvas for an architectural landmark of art and culture that will help the city to rise as a world class culture and tourism centre.

The building consists of two prismatic volumes (white and a black), that surround a sphere of light. The symbolism is obvious. The white and black dragons of yin-yang. The yang volume is light and transparent and according to our concept represents the eastern culture. On the other hand yin, the black volume, stands for the western culture. It is introvert, earthy, rational. The western art of opera meets the Far East. In the centre of a tight embracement of the two dragons, lies a luminous dome that symbolizes the knowledge, the wisdom, the new culture that derives from the osmosis of the two civilizations. Both elements maintain their essence and dynamics, while cooperating with each other in order to reach equilibrium.