DLA+

Architecture & Interior Design

FLOAT | Park Arena

Park Arena, although unbuilt, was designed as a new home for the local Esports community, and to be a sustainable, energy-efficient extension of an existing urban park. The design embraces the identity of the park and the journey of various user groups including fans, performers, operators, and local community members visiting and traveling through the proposed site on both game and non-game days, allowing for flexible use 365 days a year.

Interesting Info

Park Arena, although unbuilt, was designed to be a sustainable and energy-efficient extension of an existing urban park. While proposed to be built on the park site, the design team was challenged with coming up with a building footprint that maximized the existing park setting. By increasing the mass of the main event space and creating a more vertical design, the design used less of the park’s existing footprint while maximizing the site’s green space. The design also included a green roof to actually extend the park into the new building, operable windows to bring outside air in, energy efficient systems, and energy reuse systems.
Owner
City of Seongnam
Services
Architecture
Local Architect
Sangji Group
Teaming Partners
Sangji Group - Structural, MEP Engineering and Landscape

For this project, the Owner was intent on maintaining the existing park. Since a new building footprint would take up more than 70% of the existing site to meet the building’s programming requirements, the design team came up with a vertical design solution that “floats” the mass of the building. This design uses less of the park’s existing footprint while maximizing green space. 

While we often see event venues detached from the community, this design supports the bigger concept of a community-oriented arena and will positively impact the fundamental approach to arena development in the future.