Heatherwick Studios to Transform Seoul’s Forgotten Island

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28 October 2025

A human-made, uninhabited island on the Han River is set to become a cultural icon in the heart of Seoul.

Nodeul Island is a former beloved recreation area with sandy beaches, known as Jungjido from the 1930s to the 1950s. It was constructed by the Japanese government in 1917 during colonial rule. It remained abandoned from the 1960s after several failed attempts at redevelopment. The island was last open in 2019 as a recreational area, but was forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 120,000m2 uninhabited artificial island is set to become a public park, after a year-long series of exhibitions, consultations, and a public vote. Heatherwick Studio won the competition to reimagine the site into a new place for culture and recreation.

 

Watch the Video

 

 

Soundscape

 

Commissioned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Heatherwick Studio’s designs for “Soundscape” celebrate South Korean music, Seoul’s surrounding mountainous landscape and the island’s history of recreation.

The centrepiece is a 1.25km elevated skywalk, composed of small, floating islets, offering panoramic views across the city. The trail will loop in a figure-of-eight, offering restful areas for visitors.

 

Picture: a CGI showing the reimagined island lit up at night, with its floating islets visible. Image Credit: Devisual

 

At the ground level, there will be an art centre and a public beach that will echo the island’s recreational history. An events podium on the riverbank will feature recording studios, small concert halls, a waterfront amphitheatre, a K-Pop experience centre, a music café, an anechoic chamber, and a karaoke bar.

Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio, said “So often when people use the word culture they mean museums and galleries, but that only speaks to a fraction of the public. 

“Instead, Nodeul Island will be one of the most public places that any citizen can enjoy, where sound is central to the whole experience – embedded in the landscape, in the installations, and in the programming. Soundscape will be somewhere you can breathe and feel alive. An invitation to listen, discover and connect with your fellow Seoulites."

Soundscape is scheduled to open in 2028, and construction will take place in phases. It is Heatherwick Studio’s first project in South Korea to go into construction.

Picture: a CGI showing a view of several of the proposed floating islets. Image Credit: NOD

 

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 28 October 2025

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