Zooraji, Olson Kundig's latest, takes its inspiration not from its site (the roof of a department store) or context (the futuristic city of Busan), but from a story. Aesop's The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, to be precise. 

© Austin Wilson

Zooraji, Olson Kundig's latest, takes its inspiration not from its site (the roof of a department store) or context (the futuristic city of Busan), but from a story. Aesop's The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, to be precise. 

© Austin Wilson

If ancient Greek fables seem like an odd reference for a contemporary South Korean playspace, one need only look at the result to see how perfect a fit the two are for each other. Children perch on toadstools made of recycled materials, scramble over outsized animals made of bamboo and wine casks, run through a grove of live baobabs (a real tree that appears decidedly unreal.) The word 'whimsical' springs to mind. This wonderland-like approach was intended to immerse young visitors in the closest possible thing to a fantasy world. Five distinct zones of exploration allow the visitors to craft their own journeys through the space. Fans of Jurrassic Park might choose to spend time in the Land of the Dinosaurs; young buccaneers might prefer the swashbuckling Pirate's Shipwreck. The garden, which also includes an 'African Rainforest', a 'Rain Garden', and 'The Woods', is also peppered with subtle opportunities for learning. 
© Austin Wilson

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