Ecotone: Incheon Geomdan Museum-Library

Ecotone is a cultural masterplan for the Incheon Geomdan Museum–Library, conceived as a landmark civic destination within the rapidly developing Geomdan New Town. Positioned at the threshold between urban expansion and a large-scale natural landscape centred around a man-made lake, the project explores a telescoping of scales—from the territorial relationship between city and nature to the intimate experience of cultural and community spaces.

The proposal is organised as a composition of three distinct buildings—a museum, library, and community centre—unified by a shared architectural language and interconnected through a network of indoor and outdoor spaces. These volumes are strategically arranged to operate independently while supporting overlap in programme, allowing the complex to adapt to different uses and times of day. At their intersection, a central auditorium acts as a social anchor, with a stage oriented toward the landscape, framing performances against the backdrop of the park.

The design is driven by an inside-out approach, where programmatic relationships, views, and visitor experience inform the spatial organisation. Each building incorporates moments of openness—terraces, belvederes, and landscaped thresholds—that extend cultural programmes into the surrounding environment. This creates a continuous dialogue between interior and exterior, reinforcing the project’s ambition to integrate nature, culture, and public life.

Environmental performance is embedded within the formal strategy. The volumes are subtly rotated and articulated to optimise solar orientation and reduce heat gain, generating self-shading geometries that lower cooling demand while producing a series of terraces and transitional spaces. Sensitive programme areas, such as archives, are protected from direct sunlight, while more open façades are oriented toward the lake to maximise views and daylight.

Vertical voids introduce natural light deep into the buildings, connecting levels and enhancing spatial continuity. These are capped with ETFE membranes that filter UV radiation while maintaining a luminous interior quality. Additional shading is provided through extended roof overhangs and façade lamellas, creating a layered envelope that balances environmental control with visual permeability. The façade articulation draws inspiration from the striated patterns of historic rice fields, embedding a subtle reference to the site’s cultural landscape.

At ground level, a series of outdoor performance and exhibition spaces extend the programme into the landscape, including areas for open-air events, educational activities, and the display of archaeological artefacts. These spaces, together with the surrounding park, establish a continuous public realm that encourages exploration and interaction.

Ecotone ultimately proposes a new model for cultural infrastructure—one that operates as a transitional zone between urban and natural systems. By weaving together architecture, landscape, and programme, the project creates a cohesive environment where visitors can experience culture, history, and ecology as part of a unified and evolving public domain.

Location: Incheon, South Korea

Project Size: 21,458 m² / 230,972 ft²

Client: Incheon Housing and City Development Corporation

Themes: Master Plan | Museum | Library | Cultural Complex

Collaborators: AND