Shinslab Architecture Boat

Where do ships go to die?

That was the question posed — and answered, somewhat tragically — by a viral National Geographic documentary that drew attention to the hardscrabble existence of Bangladeshi ship-breakers in 2014.

But a team of architects in South Korea might have found a better solution — by upcycling the remains of a decaying cargo ship to create something beautiful and productive: an open-air lounge and greenspace.

Shinslab Architecture, the studio behind the project, call the project “Temp’l”; their vision was to show that value and beauty can be derived from objects that seem to have lost their function.

They left the corroded exterior alone, but updated the interior by painting the walls white. Inside there’s a spiral staircase, a balcony and dozens of trees to create a peaceful place for the public to rest.

Shinslab was selected to create the exhibit for a 2016 edition of an international offshoot of the MoMA Young Architects Program. You can find the upcycled lounge in Seoul, at the courtyard of Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA).

Bottoms up.