Abstract
The Office of Korean National Railroads announced a design competition for Kwangyang Station and sought design proposals in October of 2002. The authors collaborated on a landscape design for Kwangyang Station and earned first prize in the competition. The Office decided to construct outdoor public spaces of Kwangyang Station for railroad users, visitors and staff, and local residents. The landscape design covers the following: site inventory and analysis; integration of design program and site analysis; evaluation of design concept; selecting a winning design alternative; schematic design including circulation form and spatial form; and design development including subarea design. In the design process, the authors focused on the integration and interpretation of site conditions as related to the Kwangyang Station building. They also collectively analyzed and considered the physical development of the outdoor spaces of Kwangyang Station. The following are some of the major areas in the design of the outdoor spaces of Kwangyang Station: 1) a plaza for waiting, 2) an entry area for passengers, 3) a train cafeteria, 4) a cultural plaza, 5) an image wall, and 6) a symbolic pond. The plaza for waiting is created as a place for users to wait and rest. The entry area for passengers provides an area for pedestrians approaching, passing and strolling. The train cafeteria features trains, lawns, grasses and trees. The cultural plaza is a main area representing the regional characteristics of Kwangyang. This plaza also provides an area for various public events. The image wall is meant to be an exhibition space for displaying the advancements of Korean National Railroads in sculptural image forms. The symbolic pond consists of an area with symbolic water features and several sculptures with artistic value. In the authors' design, the outdoor spaces of Kwangyang station are created as a new type of public realm with function, regional quality, original identity, cultural context, symbolic meaning and images, and beauty. The designed spaces would be one of the most representative places of interest and attraction in Kwangyang.