SeoSomoen Building to Be Demolished and Rebuilt... "Creation of Large Concert Hall"

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Seosomun Building (formerly the JoongAng Ilbo Building) located in the Sunhwa-dong 7 area of Jung-gu, Seoul, owned by Samsung Life Insurance, will be redeveloped into a prime office building of landmark status in the city center. The existing Hoam Art Hall is planned to be transformed into a concert hall dedicated to classical music.

On the 3rd, Seoul City announced that it held an urban planning committee meeting on the 2nd and approved a revision to the 'Seoul Station-Seodaemun 1 and 2 Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment District 1st Zone Maintenance Plan.'

The district where the Seosomun Building stands was designated in 1973 and the project was completed in 1985. After 35 years since completion, the building has aged, causing a sharp decline in the competitiveness of its rental offices. The Hoam Art Hall, which once led the performing arts culture, has struggled to adapt to changes in performance trends such as diverse stage productions, leading to the suspension of external rentals since 2017. Additionally, the building is surrounded by fences and outdoor parking lots, and the absence of street-level activation facilities has resulted in disconnection from the surrounding urban space.

Through this revision of the maintenance plan, new office facilities, cultural and assembly facilities, and retail facilities will be constructed in this district. The building will be constructed with a floor area ratio of up to 861% and a height of up to 90 meters. Three floors adjacent to the ground (2nd floor above ground to 1st basement floor) will house retail facilities and a plaza, while four upper floors (5th to 8th floors above ground) will feature a large-scale concert hall, contributing to regional revitalization as a cultural hub in northern Seoul. In particular, a plaza that can be organically connected with the surrounding urban space will be placed in the center of the site, and street activation uses will be introduced on the lower floors to create an open and public space plan.

A Seoul city official said, "Although it is located at a major gateway on the west side of the historic downtown, the existing building, which was inefficiently used due to aging, is scheduled to be redeveloped into a landmark building in the city center," adding, "It will be established as a new cultural hub in northern Seoul, contributing to urban revitalization and enhancing the city's competitiveness."

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