In 2029, 'Roof Garden' Seoul Metropolitan Library to Open in Dongdaemun

In 2029, a public library with 2.5 times the size of the existing Seoul Library and the best facilities in the country will be established near Cheongnyangni Station. This library is planned to be a wooden library with the entire roof transformed into a park.

Seoul Metropolitan Library (Dongdaemun) Design Competition Winning Entry

On the 17th, Seoul City announced that the design by the 'Sosol Architects Consortium' was selected in the design competition for the construction of the Seoul Metropolitan Library (Dongdaemun) to be built in the area of 691-3 Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu.

The selected design plan reflects the characteristics of the Dongdaemun area, which lacks parks and green spaces, by planning the entire roof of the 9,000㎡ library as a park. Seoul City explained that the design was highly evaluated for its flexible composition that allows both indoor and outdoor spaces to be open and accommodate various functions.

The Seoul Metropolitan Library (Dongdaemun) will be constructed using a hybrid method combining wooden and eco-friendly building techniques, covering a site of 16,899㎡ with a total floor area of 25,000㎡. The design and expected construction costs are 8.7 billion KRW and 164.7 billion KRW respectively, making it a large-scale project.

Seoul City plans to start the design contract next month, proceed with basic and detailed design for about 18 months, and aims to begin construction in the second half of 2025. Completion is targeted for 2029.

Since August, Seoul City has been conducting an international design competition to build a public library with complex cultural and community functions where cultural and artistic events and programs operate year-round, in addition to book reading. In the first phase of the international design competition, a total of 116 teams (64 domestic teams and 52 international teams) submitted their works.

Hong Seon-gi, Director of Future Space Planning at Seoul City, said, “We have devoted great effort from the design competition process to establish the Seoul Metropolitan Library (Dongdaemun) as the best public library in the country and another landmark representing Seoul,” adding, “We will proceed with the plan without delay to create a high-level cultural facility that citizens desire.”