The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea is poised to be one of the most prominent golf courses in Southeast Asia, and Lorenc+Yoo Design was charged with creating signage that would portray this course as a haven in New Songdo City, Korea.
As the largest private real estate development in history, New Songdo City will be a premier international business district. Called the “Gateway to Northeast Asia,” the city is just 40 miles from Seoul and minutes from Incheon International Airport. One third of the world’s population is only a three and a half hour flight away, making it the perfect locale for multinational business executives.
The 1,500-acre trade free development, built on reclaimed land along the Yellow Sea, will include 50 million square feet of office space, 30 million square feet of residential space, 10 million square feet of retail space, and 10 million square feet of green space. A 100-acre Central Park, an international preparatory school, an art museum, a hospital and a 65-story tower and convention center are just a few of the amenities that the city will offer its residents and visitors.
Additionally, New Songdo City will be home to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, the only golf course in the country bearing the name of the golf legend. Drawing inspiration from the golf course and traditional Korean materials and crafts, Lorenc+Yoo created signage for the course as a transition from the urban bustle surrounding it.
Compared to American golf courses, the course and its signage are quite contemporary, yet they reflect historic Korean masonry craft. The sweeping arc entry wall protects the course from the outside city and maintains the course’s natural environment, while a fountain and the sound of pouring water creates a soothing motion and muffles the sounds of urban activity. Natural stone and granite textures provide a pristine finish that mediates between traditional and contemporary.
Complete with 51 villas facing the course, an advanced practice and learning center, restaurants, spa amenities and more, the course is sure to draw business travelers from around the globe upon its completion in 2009.