Home > National > Social Affairs

Seoul's 'Hangang Renaissance' includes cultural transformation of Nodeul Island

Published: 21 Oct. 2025, 16:14

A rendered image shows a bird’s-eye view of the planned Nodeul Global Arts Island in Seoul. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul’s Nodeul Island, once seen as a symbol of stalled development, is set for a dramatic transformation into the “Nodeul Global Arts Island,” a new cultural hub designed for both residents and international visitors.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government broke ground on the project Tuesday, part of its broader “Hangang Renaissance 2.0: Great Hangang Project,” launched in 2023. The initiative aims to open all areas of the island — including its riverside and aerial spaces — beyond the limited western section currently accessible to the public.

Nodeul Island, an artificial island created during the Japanese colonial period in 1917, has long struggled to find a defined purpose. In the 1970s, plans to turn it into an amusement park fell through, and it was left idle for decades.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, during his first term in office in 2005, proposed building an opera house on the site. In 2006, he expanded the vision, unveiling plans for a “Hangang Art Island” featuring a world-class performance venue.

However, those plans were scrapped when the Seoul Metropolitan Council repealed an ordinance to establish the Hangang Art Island Foundation. Under the administration of the late Mayor Park Won-soon, Nodeul Island was used as a weekend farm in 2011, and was later rebranded as a “music island” in 2019.

A rendered image shows a bird’s-eye view of the planned Nodeul Global Arts Island in Seoul. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Now, after years of back-and-forth, the city is moving forward with a new vision. The existing Nodeul Island cultural complex will be preserved, while new features such as a riverside garden, pedestrian trails, and an aerial walkway connecting the island’s east and west ends will be added. The walkway will include exhibition spaces and an observatory, while the eastern woodland will be landscaped into a multi-layered deciduous forest.

Under the Hangang Bridge that spans the island, the city plans to operate a media façade called “Atelier Nodeul,” which will also serve as a boarding point for a “Hangang Bus” ferry route connecting Yeouido and Jamwon.

The master plan was designed by renowned British architect Thomas Heatherwick, known for London’s Rolling Bridge and New York’s Little Island and Vessel. His “Soundscape” installation will also be built on the island — a floating garden space modeled after Korea’s mountainous terrain, elevated on concrete pillars and connected to the aerial walkway to provide panoramic views of the Han River and Seoul.

A rendered image shows a bird’s-eye view of the planned Nodeul Global Arts Island in Seoul. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

The 370.4 billion won ($259.4 million) project is scheduled for completion in 2028. Construction will be carried out in phases, beginning with seven floating, petal-shaped aerial gardens. The second phase will focus on a riverside cultural space, including ecological restoration and docking facilities. The city plans to open parts of the project in stages once early construction is complete.

Upon completion, Nodeul Island will host a wide range of performances, exhibitions and festivals.

“If the Hangang Bus represents the peak of our Hangang Renaissance, the Nodeul Global Arts Island is the final piece of the puzzle,” Mayor Oh said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Seoul’s vision of design is not just about external beauty — it’s about creating spaces where people feel emotionally anchored. Nodeul Island will be the first stage to embody that philosophy on water.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]