Tiếng ViệtLocated in Seocheon, South Korea, the Ecoplex ecological park is a government project to preserve the natural environment of the region and create a central area of the country to gather precious ecological resources for research and exhibition in Korea. The park was originally built and developed as an industrial park, but because of its environmental values, the Korean government changed the plan and organized a design bidding for the Ecoplex. The winning company is Samoo Architects & Engineers.
Inside the Ecoplex is the Ecorium, a landmark building and also an exhibition area. Designed by Samoo Architects & Engineers and Grimshaw
Architects, the Ecorium consists of multiple greenhouses and controlled and monitored environmental zones that recreate a global ecosystem with five climate zones stretching from the equator to the poles. Designed with the theme of “nature’s adventure”, the climate zones are linked together by a system of above-ground paths, acting as exhibition paths, giving visitors a variety of experiences. .
Entering the Ecorium, visitors will encounter a large lobby where they can look over all the climate zones and access other functional areas such as the exhibition area, theater, cafeteria and souvenir shop. The tropical area is the first area visitors will come to. Designed as a large greenhouse, the area provides enough space for many types of trees and plants to grow in the future. The greenhouse helps bring a realistic feeling when visitors can see, hear, feel and touch like they are in a tropical forest. The arrangement of trees, plants and lakes has been carefully crafted, along with the waterfall to create a total experience. And for a more realistic feel of the environment, an observatory has been installed so visitors can get a bird’s-eye view of the tropical region. Next to the tropical area is a second greenhouse that recreates the subtropical area with its harsh desert environment as well as the future Earth environment if global warming continues. The third greenhouse is a mediterranean area filled with green, giving a contrasting feeling to the above two areas. The fourth greenhouse is the temperate zone and also the climate of the country of Korea. Thanks to this advantage, the area offers a variety of experiences with some shows taking place outside such as miniature mountain models and valleys with flowing water. The final climate zone is the cold zone with sub-zero temperatures
This area hosts exhibits about the polar environment with the appearance of penguins. The region also provides a hands-on environment that promotes education about global warming and its destructive impact on polar regions.
Because of the very rigid structure of the greenhouses, each building is supported by a giant dome that helps stabilize the entire architectural system. Along with the support of the dome, the system is also equipped with a long supporting truss to help support the surrounding area and create a unique identity for the entire architectural system. Diagonal trusses are connected to the main dome to support the external wall system and provide wind protection.
Designed to be an eco-friendly building, the Ecorium aims to become a leading facility in terms of sustainability. The idea of creating a sustainable facility was at the core of the project and this was accomplished through multiple design simulations to reduce energy consumption as well as CO emissions. For example, the arrangement and orientation of greenhouses have been simulated to create an ideal environment according to the climate zone that the greenhouse replicates. Additionally, air flow simulation has been implemented so that natural ventilation can be maintained throughout all four seasons. Sloped exterior walls in each climate zone will provide rainwater for cooling and irrigation. With these efforts, the entire system has reduced energy consumption by about 10%.
