Seoul’s Nodeul Island, the Real-Life Sandbox From the K-Drama ‘Start-Up’
THE NODEUL ISLAND is an artifical island surrounded by
the Han River, located between Seoul's Yongsan and Dongjak Districts. The
island is fairly new but if you are a fan of K-Dramas, you would probably
recognize the island instantly, as the business incubator Sandbox in the hit
K-Drama Start-Up.
(The Real Life Sand Box the K-Drama "Start-Up")
(The Real Life Nodeul Island)
In the drama, Sandbox is a tech hub,
home to many start-up companies. In real life, the Nodeul Island is a cultural
hub with cafes, bookstores, galleries and music stages. The island has been
long abandoned since the 1920s and been used by citizens as a tennis court and
vegetable garden for a long time.
For nearly two years, Seoul City has organized contests for creative minds to submit their ideas on how to best transform the abandoned island. Finally, Studio MMK has won the contest to become the main designer of the island transformation project, winning city funds of 1.9billion KRW.
The Nodeul Island has become a
cultural, musical hub, providing citizens more opportunities to enjoy music,
cultural performances and other leisure activities. Since beginning official
operation, the island has become known for many appearances. Global Star K-pop
band BTS recently shot a video in the island and many other programs such as
Running Man, Hangout with Yoo and most lately the K-drama Start-Up.
Seoul city has tons of parks and
outdoor spaces surrounding Han River, but the Nodeul Island is different as it
is a music-centered cultural complex with both indoor and outdoor theaters,
parks, markets, cafes, galleries and bookstores. It's a space where individuals
can dive into creative and artistic mood.
"The Nodeum Island is different from those" said Lee Ji-eun, an Urban Restoration Headquarters official at the city government, "because it will not only be a park but creative space that citizens and start-up companies can change according to their needs and tastes. You can think of it almost like a university filled with creative minds and entrepreneurs."
Comments
Post a Comment