The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 6th that in the jury for the international design competition to build the Second Sejong Center, it selected the proposal by ‘Designcamp Moonpark DMP’ as the winning entry.

The Second Sejong Center is a core project of the ‘Great Han River Project’. North of Yeouido Park, a complex cultural facility will be created that includes a large performance hall (1,800 seats), a medium-size hall (800 seats), an exhibition hall (5,670㎡), and a public observatory, with a total area of 66,000㎡.

After signing a design contract with the winner within the year, basic and detailed design will take about one year and two months, with groundbreaking in December next year and completion targeted for December 2029.

From the competition guidelines, the city required planning an outdoor stage and a large screen so that anyone can visit and enjoy performances without buying a ticket. It also aimed for the facility to function as a cultural and rest space, including allowing visitors to take in views of the Han River and Seoul from an open rooftop observatory.

The winning scheme places the two performance halls vertically, oriented toward the Han River and Yeouido Park respectively, and designs open lobbies facing different directions so visitors can enjoy diverse urban scenery.

It also plans the ground level along Yeouidaero as a plaza so citizens can move comfortably between Yeouido Park and the Han River, and the outdoor venue is devised so anyone can simultaneously watch grand-hall performances on a screen the size of the stage.

The jury explained its reason for selection: “We highly value how the proposal presents open spaces toward the Han River, Yeouido Park, and the Yeouidaero side, carefully interpreting the urban context.”

The city will hold the design competition award ceremony at 10 a.m. on the 10th in the Sejong Lounge on the first floor of Sejong Center, and will exhibit five works, including the winning entry, through the 16th.

Cho Nam-jun, head of the Urban Space Headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “The Second Sejong Center will be a new cultural icon of Seoul and an open space that any citizen can enjoy in everyday life,” adding, “We will make the entire process transparent from design to development and reflect citizen input.”