South Korea
This proposal for an international design competition reimagines the passenger terminal and master plan for a new airport on Gadeok Island, 40 km southwest of Busan, Korea’s second-largest city. Guided by core principles—a 24-hour operation, economic zone revitalization, smart technology integration, and low-carbon design infused with marine ecology—the airport targets 17 million passengers by 2040 and 23 million by 2065. It aims to serve as a multimodal hub and enduring symbol of business, culture, and tourism.
Gadeokdo New Airport Design Competition by Gansam Co, won an 2025 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
At its heart is “The Wave,” a passenger terminal with a vast roof inspired by ocean ripples. Circular rings radiate from the central building into the surrounding landscape, merging architecture and environment into a unified form. The overall layout adopts an efficient X-shaped plan, with four piers extending from the core to optimize aircraft positioning, minimize taxi times and land distances, reduce CO2 emissions, and streamline passenger flow for both planes and people.
Constructed from hybrid reinforced concrete and steel, the structure features a modular steel truss roof clad in solar panels to generate sustainable energy. Inside, abundant greenery, natural light, and flowing water create a stress-free oasis, offering comfort and surprise amid the facility’s scale.
Designed by a global team—Gansam and Junglim Architecture (Korea), Nikken Sekkei (Japan), and Heatherwick Studio (UK)—with engineering from Arup (London/HK), HLD for landscape, and BNP for baggage handling, The Wave promises to become Busan’s vibrant new gateway and a memorable entry to Korea.
Architects: Gansam Co., Ltd.
Design Team: Park Mu Chan, Lee Myeong Ryul, Miyoshi Takayuki, Kim Tae Woo, Kim Jae Beom, Yoo Hyun Su, Park Sang Gyu, Lee Ji Han, Ju Eun Hu, Lee Jae Yong, Hwang Ui Hyeon, Jo Seung Wan, Kim Beom Su, Hong Seong Cheon, Kim Yong Su, Sin Ha Jeong, Jang Mimi, Ju Areum
Lead Designer: Heatherwick Studio
Design Team: Stuart Wood, Craig Miller, Jonathan Curtis, Adam West, Aleksander Bursac, Anjie Gu, Ashley Tso, Aziz Hoque, Chen Yue, James Ness, Matthew Magee, Mathew Robson, Meera Yadave, Nabiha Naciri, Olga Rienda, Philipp Nedomlel, Theophile Peju, Xirong Zheng
Associate Architects: NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD
Design Team: Shinji KANEUCHI, Heng-Yuan HONG, Maurizio DEVISI, Irie YO, Katsuhide MURAKAMI, Ken MIYOSHI, Hirokazu NAKAMURA
Associate Architects: Junglim Architecture Co., Ltd.
Design Team: Changhun Lee, Mokjo Chung, Myongki Seong, Changhee Kang, Jinwoo Yu, Sanghyun Lee, Jinhee Ju, Jaegeun Jang, Chanrae Noh, Gyeongjun Choi, Hyunbin Park, Younghan Lee, Hyojung Kim, Hyejin Kim, Kyungwoo Lee
Landscape Architects: Heatherwick Studio, HLD
Client: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Images: Courtesy of the Architects
