LG Art Center to End Gangnam Era and Open 'Magok Era' in October Next Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] LG Arts Center is relocating its venue. After the musical "Hadestown" finishes its run in February next year, the center will close its doors in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, and from October next year, it will open a new era with the 'Magok Venue' in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu.

LG Arts Center was established on March 27, 2000, by the public interest corporation LG Yeonam Cultural Foundation with a total construction cost of 62 billion KRW over five years, under the purpose of "returning corporate profits to society through cultural and artistic creation and exchange." The year 1998, when the construction of LG Arts Center was being planned in earnest, was a period of economic recession triggered by the IMF financial crisis, during which many companies reduced new projects and cut back on cultural support. However, the parent company LG continued with the plan to build the performance hall and also established an operating fund of 53 billion KRW at the time of opening to ensure stable operation of the venue. Furthermore, the late Chairman Koo Bon-moo urged, "We should not be obsessed with the popular success of performances but introduce world-class cultural and artistic performances to Korea."

Based on stable financial support from LG Group, LG Arts Center pioneered the contemporary performance market and introduced innovative initiatives such as the season system, package system, and a policy without invitation tickets, bringing fresh winds to the performing arts scene and presenting a successful example of corporate patronage activities. Overcoming the limitations of being a privately operated single hall with 1,100 seats, it quickly established itself as a major domestic theater alongside Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, and the National Theater. In the 'KS-SQI Korea Service Quality Index' survey measuring consumer satisfaction, it was ranked first in the performance hall category for 14 consecutive years from 2007 to 2020. LG Yeonam Cultural Foundation was also awarded the 'Mecenat Award Presidential Prize' in 2003 in recognition of its contributions to the establishment and operation of LG Arts Center.

Building on over 20 years of successful operation in Yeoksam-dong, LG Arts Center will relocate to the Magok area in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, in October 2022 and reopen. The southwestern region of Seoul, where LG Arts Center is moving, is home to about 3.17 million people, approximately 30% of Seoul’s population, but has been perceived as relatively lacking in cultural and artistic facilities. Based on its experience in Yeoksam-dong, LG Arts Center is set to be reborn as a complex cultural space where high-quality cultural arts can be enjoyed in this southwestern area. The Magok LG Arts Center was planned as a public contribution facility while LG Group was developing LG Science Park, a state-of-the-art research and development facility in the Magok district, and it holds operating rights for 20 years under the condition of donation to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

As the first large-scale multipurpose performance hall in southwestern Seoul, LG Arts Center will be designed by the world-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, famous for his 'exposed concrete technique.' The construction took 4 years and 6 months with a budget of approximately 250 billion KRW. Built on a site measuring 100 meters by 100 meters, about 3,000 pyeong, it consists of three basement floors and four above-ground floors. The total floor area is 12,593 pyeong (41,631 m²), twice the size of the Gangnam LG Arts Center. It is located at the entrance of 'Seoul Botanic Park,' the center of the Magok area, and is directly connected to Magoknaru Station on Subway Line 9 and the Airport Railroad.

Magok LG Arts Center consists of two performance halls: the Grand Theater and the Black Box. The Grand Theater is a 1,335-seat multipurpose hall capable of hosting full orchestra performances, operas, musicals, plays, ballets, and concerts. The Black Box, with 365 seats over two floors, is a flexible theater where seating arrangements can be freely changed according to the nature of the performance. It supports proscenium structure as well as configurations where the stage is centered with audience seats facing each other on both sides or wrapping around the stage, allowing flexible combinations of stage and seating according to the artist’s intent.

In addition to the two performance halls, Magok LG Arts Center is equipped with various auxiliary facilities such as art education spaces and F&B outlets. It will offer visitors new enjoyment with diverse content that was not possible at the single-hall Yeoksam-dong venue.