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The Arboreal Soul
Celebrating South-Korean’s silent companion
Seoul - KR
Competition | Runner-up
Seoul International Garden Show 2026
Area
200m2
Bridging the gap between Nature and Culture
The ‘Arboreal soul’ aims at celebrating the Korean red pine, a spiritual, natural and cultural symbol of South-Korea, the historical silent companion of the nation. Present in the mind of every citizen, shaping iconic landscapes and one of its main ecological cornerstones, extensively used in the vernacular architecture, from rural buildings to palaces and temples, this tree deserves to be celebrated.This garden creates a sacred grove magnifying the existing pine trees and celebrating its rich heritage to South Korean culture. It bridges nature and culture aesthetics with a strong naturist design setting the atmosphere of the place and a more cultural, man-made edge.
The grove scenarises the current rocky natural habitat of the pine with stone blocks while the ‘sacredness’ of the place is created by a discontinuous square in the periphery made of dressed stone walls and 4 pillars at every corner. This place is also inclusive and interactive, visitors of all age are invited to walk in under the pines, sit and contemplate, jump from stones to stones, get amazed by the plants, touch foliages, eat the Korean blueberries growing around, search for the insects and animals hidden in between the stones, grasses, shrubs...