A Beautiful New Soundscape for Seoul

On the Han River, Nodeul Island is being reimagined as a cultural landscape devoted to music, art and nature. Heatherwick Studio’s new project, called Soundscape, recently broke ground and is set to open in 2028.

The centerpiece is a 1.25-kilometre elevated walkway that moves like a soundwave across the island. Floating platforms create lookouts, resting spots and moments of quiet above the water.

Below, the island retains its natural shoreline with soft planting, a small beach and open public paths.

Cultural spaces are woven in rather than imposed: recording studios, a waterfront amphitheater, cafés and a K-Pop experience center become part of the terrain rather than standalone buildings.

The design encourages wandering and listening, inviting people to experience the city at a slower pace.

What stands out is the restraint. Instead of building a single spectacle, the project creates a place to gather, listen and breathe.

It treats public space not as a backdrop, but as something people genuinely use.

A city gives much to its river, and every so often, the river gives something back. Soundscape feels like one of those moments.