Openfabric

Located at the heart of Busan’s North Port, the Global Startup Hub is conceived as an integrated part of a regenerating waterfront landscape—a civic catalyst embedded within one of the city’s most historically and ecologically significant areas.

The design reclaims the interface between city and sea, transforming the former fish market into an open, accessible urban promenade. The project fosters ecological continuity, drawing green corridors into the pier and orchestrating a dialogue between built forms and open space. Over 200 new trees, shaded plazas, and multifunctional outdoor areas reinforce the identity of the harbor as a living, adaptive environment—one that celebrates wind, water, and light.

A system of floating platforms, removable structures, and microclimatic devices enable interaction with the landscape without compromising its integrity—an approach mindful of the area’s potential UNESCO heritage designation.

Public spaces constitute the backbone of the pier: permeable, shaded, and fully integrated with the program of the Hub. These areas act as social condensers, blending leisure, work, and cultural exchange in a continuous sequence from the city to the water.