Face Danger (in Theory) at this Risk Theme Park

If you were standing on a balcony that suddenly started crumbling beneath your feet, what would you do? Consider yourself doomed? Hold on to anything that wasn’t going down with you? Jump?

Most of us aren’t prepared for random disasters and rarely stop to appreciate the individuals who risk their lives to rescue others. That’s why Royal College of Art graduate student Soon-min Hong designed a "risk theme park" for South Korea for his final project.  

Front of Brochure

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Back of Brochure

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Instead of roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, and hot dog stands, there would be a series of nine risk attractions including unstable platforms, faux burning buildings, evacuation drills, and even a simulated train disaster. Hong envisioned the park in the city of Daegu, South Korea. Set up in a deconstructed nine-story building in the city’s center, the park’s bare-bones structure would make the attractions entirely visible to passers-by.

Full Concept

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Design for Building Fire, Train Disaster, and High-Rise Evacuation 

“We live in an age obsessed with personal safety,” wrote Hong on his Risk Theme Park brochure. And the more we avoid the possibility of danger, the less likely we are to know how to respond, making us more reliant on others—like firefighters—for protection.

Hong hopes that by immersing visitors in mock disaster situations, they'll learn more than they currently do in risk-free environments like South Korea’s Safety Experience Centers. The Risk Theme Park would also “lead the public to appreciate the risks that other people take on their behalf.”

So far, there’s no plan to actually build the amusement park, because, well, safety precautions.

All photos courtesy of Soon-min Hong and Dezeen