Emily Yan speaks at AIA South Korea

Emily Yan, Director, Studio Hong Kong (Asia Region) at Snøhetta (Design Architects) and Dong Chen, Partner at Cundall (Specialist Structure Engineers), will jointly present the latest developments in the construction of the Busan Opera House, a landmark cultural project poised to redefine the waterfront skyline of Busan.

Snøhetta will open the presentation by unveiling the key architectural design elements that shape the Opera House’s iconic form. Central to the design is the double-curved façade, composed of two opposing arcs—one grounded to anchor the building to its site, the other rising to embrace the sky. The opera house emerges at the intersection of these curves, symbolizing the meeting of land and sea. The first part of the presentation will emphasize the project’s conceptual origins and Snøhetta’s ongoing commitment to preserving the integrity of this vision throughout the design and construction process.

Cundall will follow with an in-depth look at the façade steel structural design strategies that support and enhance Snøhetta’s architectural intent by exploring the application of digital design and innovative parametric workflows, which have enabled extensive design iterations to refine the form of building envelope. These cutting-edge approaches have facilitated precise coordination between architectural visions and engineering requirements, ensuring efficient and optimized solutions for construction and fabrication. Cundall’s presentation will also touch on how these strategies address challenges such as structural buildability, material efficiency, and seamless integration with the project’s ambitious aesthetic goals. 

This event is open to AIA members; however, non-members are also welcome. Please RSVP by Thursday, August 21 to ruthoh@gmail.com. If you need parking, please kindly note it when you RSVP. Two hours free parking is offered at the Track and Fried Underground Parking Lot.