#designcompetition

With design competitions, there always needs to be a winner. When we’re not selected, it stings but the creative output still has value and becomes an ‘idea without a home’.

Here’s a selection of images from our submission for Portugal Street that runs through the heart of the LSE campus, severing the cohesiveness of the campus and impacting the experience of the public realm.

Spina viridis, inspired by the universal language of botanical Latin that provides the means by which the natural world is classified. Spina meaning spine, and viridis meaning green or flourishing, embodying concepts of growth, vitality, and renewal. Our approach is centred on co-design and radical empathy to create a beautiful and biodiverse living spine along Portugal Street inspired by the unique urban setting of LSE and its ethos as a community of people and ideas founded to know the cause of things for the betterment of society. The transformation of Portugal Street is an exciting opportunity to consider people as an integral part of a unique campus ecosystem, how interests of human and multi-species worlds intersect and what the symbiotic benefits are when people and cities become an integral part of nature, not separate from it.

Overall illustration by George Allen, eye level drawings by Samantha Charles that have been converted to designed night views by Melissa Byer at Michael Grubb Studio.

Architectural design for the Ulsan Performing Arts Venue has entered the second phase of an international design competition. The concept features two opposing ribbons. One connects to the city grid. The other reaches toward the river. Together, they frame a continuous public realm. Plazas, promenades, and outdoor stages support informal gatherings and performances. This repositions cultural infrastructure as part of daily civic life.

The covered promenade features a sweeping curve and slender columns, creating a sheltered yet open public corridor. (Image © Photographer Name) Spatial Strategy and Urban Continuity

The layout avoids rigid zoning. Instead, it creates open transitions between performance and public space. One ribbon follows the urban grain. The other responds to the river’s edge. This duality reflects Ulsan’s layered history and ecology. Many modern cities now treat cultural buildings as connective tissue. The design aligns with this shift. It prioritizes movement over containment. Such thinking echoes recent editorial critiques of isolated cultural institutions.

The building’s flowing form emerges from a grove of birch trees, creating a seamless transition between nature and built environment. (Image © Photographer Name) Material Logic and Structural Integration

Specific materials have not been finalized. Renderings suggest lightweight cladding over strong structural frames. This suits coastal Korea’s seismic and climatic conditions. The system may use modular components from current construction practices. These would support both acoustics and flexibility. Outdoor stages require durable building materials. These must handle weather exposure and technical demands.

The building’s cantilevered form and illuminated interior create a striking silhouette against the setting sun, with reflections enhancing its presence on the water. (Image © Photographer Name) Sustainability and Programmatic Flexibility

Passive strategies shape the environmental approach. Orientation, natural ventilation, and shaded areas reduce energy needs. Full sustainability metrics are not yet public. Still, the open layout implies lower reliance on mechanical systems. This aligns with trends in cultural sustainability. No demolition is planned. Final programming will follow municipal review.

Architectural Snapshot:

Can this architectural design truly integrate performance into urban routine? Or will institutional frameworks limit its openness?

The proposal’s architectural design emphasizes spatial continuity over spectacle.

Its architectural design engages core questions about public access and cultural form.

The Ulsan Performing Arts Venue proposal links city and river through two linear ribbons and a porous public landscape.

The venue’s low profile form blends into the green hillside while remaining visible from the waterway and adjacent transit line. (Image © Photographer Name)

ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Ulsan Performing Arts proposal frames civic culture through linear gestures and open plazas, avoiding spectacle in favor of spatial continuity. While its dual ribbon diagram responds to urban and ecological contexts, the concept risks formal repetition seen in other competition entries that prioritize diagram over detail. The narrative leans heavily on connectivity a valid but overused trope in contemporary cultural architecture. Yet it succeeds in sidestepping institutional grandeur, offering instead a porous platform for everyday use. Its real test lies not in renderings but in how programming and maintenance will uphold this openness. Will it endure as a genuine public asset or fade into another underused civic shell?