Dongjak-gu Transforms Old Noryangjin Water Intake Station into a Remodeled Rooftop Cultural Space

[Seoul District News] Dongjak-gu to Decide Design Competition Winner on 15th, Start Design This Month, Construction Scheduled for December... Creation of Cafe, Rooftop Viewing Space, and More... New Cultural Platform with Beautiful Han River Views Expected... Nowon-gu Offers 407 Public Urban Garden Plots, Applications Accepted Until 4th... Jongno-gu to Conduct 'Thaw Season Safety Inspections' at 249 Locations by March

Remodeling Perspective of the Old Noryangjin Water Intake Station Regeneration Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Chang-woo Lee) announced on the 25th that it will remodel the old Noryangjin Water Intake Station (around 5-2, Bon-dong, Dongjak-gu), adjacent to the Han River, to create a waterfront cultural facility.

The old Noryangjin Water Intake Station, completed in 1974, ceased water intake operations in 1992 and has since been used as a materials warehouse. Despite its location along the Han River, the building’s space utilization has been insufficient.

Accordingly, the district decided to remodel the old building to preserve its value as much as possible while creating a resting space for residents with a view of the Han River. On February 15, the winning design proposal was selected.

The winner of the design competition (joint submission: JH Architects and others) will be granted priority negotiation rights for the design service contract. Design work will begin this month, with construction scheduled to start in December.

The remodeled building of the old Noryangjin Water Intake Station will be composed of one basement floor and one above-ground floor, with a total floor area of 4,000㎡, arranged three-dimensionally by utilizing level differences. A bamboo forest passing through the building will be created along the entrance road continuing from the Han River, and the interior spaces will include a caf?, multipurpose room, and rooftop garden.

Additionally, the rooftop garden will secure a pedestrian path connecting to Nodeul-ro, enhancing accessibility for residents.

The district has actively utilized the geographical advantage of the ‘Han River waterfront’ to promote the ‘Yongyangbongjeojeong Area Tourism Attraction Project.’ In April last year, the ‘Yongyangbongjeojeong Park’ was opened to provide an urban resting space, and the first youth caf?, ‘THE Han River,’ was launched, bringing new vitality to the Bon-dong area.

This year, the ‘Yongyangbongjeojeong Park Observatory Caf?’ is scheduled to open in March, and the ‘Nodeulnaru Park Regeneration Project’ will begin construction in August, continuously expanding related projects.

In particular, Nodeulnaru Park, located around 258-1 Bon-dong, despite being adjacent to the Han River, had its river view blocked due to the park’s structure. The district plans to redesign the park by transforming the shielded green space into an open green space, planting mainly to minimize visual interference and secure the Han River view.

Kim Jong-woo, Head of Strategic Projects, said, “With the Noryangjin Water Intake Station and Nodeulnaru Park regeneration projects, the lack of cultural and convenience facilities along the pedestrian route connecting Yeouido and Banpo Hangang Park in Dongjak-gu is expected to be supplemented. We will strive to establish the Noryangjin Water Intake Station as a new cultural platform overlooking the Han River.”

Nowon-gu (Mayor Seung-rok Oh) announced that it will lease public urban gardens in 2022 to provide opportunities for healthy leisure activities.

Through the public urban gardens, families can secure eco-friendly food they can trust and enjoy the joy of harvest while learning the importance of eco-friendly food. The harvest can be shared with neighbors or donated to local food banks, aiming to restore the community and expand the practice of sharing.

The leased gardens consist of 407 plots across four locations: Bulam Eoulim Park Garden (117 plots, 95-336 Sanggye-dong), Gyeongchun Line Forest Park Garden (120 plots, in front of Hagye 2-dong Community Center within Gyeongchun Park), Everyone’s Garden (24 plots, Nowon Eco Center in Sanggye-dong), and Nowon Healing Garden (146 plots, 2235 Byeollae-dong, Namyangju-si).

The lease period is from April to November. The lease prices per plot are: Bulamsan Garden (5㎡) 30,000 KRW; Gyeongchun Line Forest Garden A type (7.2㎡) 40,000 KRW, B type (5.76㎡) 30,000 KRW, C type (4.32㎡) 20,000 KRW; Nowon Healing Garden (9.9㎡) 50,000 KRW; Everyone’s Garden (4.29㎡) 20,000 KRW.

Any Nowon-gu resident or organization located in Nowon-gu can apply, limited to one plot per household (or organization). Applications are accepted from 10 a.m. on March 2 to 6 p.m. on March 4 via the Nowon-gu Office website.

Selection will be conducted by computerized random drawing among all applicants. The results will be posted on the district office website on March 15, and selected applicants will be individually notified about payment and deposit methods. Failure to pay within the deadline will result in cancellation and replacement by a standby applicant.

Public gardens are equipped with simple farming tools such as agricultural water, watering cans, shovels, and hoes for use. Poorly managed plots left unattended for more than two months will be excluded from applying for Nowon-gu garden leases for the next two years.

For more details, contact the Leisure City Division for guidance.

In addition to leasing public urban gardens, the district continuously promotes urban agriculture activation policies through box gardens, small rooftop gardens, urban agriculture, and urban beekeeping education.

Mayor Seung-rok Oh said, “As demand for healthy food and wholesome leisure activities grows, interest in public urban gardens continues to increase. I hope people relieve their tired bodies and minds from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic by gardening.”

Jongno-gu is conducting safety inspections on 249 sites within the district until March 31, designated as the ‘Special Safety Management Period during Thawing Season.’

The purpose is to prevent safety accidents such as facility collapse and falling rocks that may occur during the thawing season, protect residents’ lives, and minimize human and property damage in case of emergencies.

The targets include a total of 249 sites within the district, such as ▲safety-vulnerable facilities (D grade, other aging buildings) ▲steep slopes (retaining walls, stone walls) ▲road facilities ▲general road slopes ▲excavation construction sites ▲parks ▲cultural assets.

Accordingly, inspection teams composed of management entities, related departments, experts, and private facility managers will be separately organized to conduct joint inspections and thoroughly examine the facilities.

In particular, for safety-vulnerable facilities, they will check for ground subsidence or cracks; for road slopes and steep slopes, cracks or subsidence in retaining walls; for road facilities, drainage maintenance and pavement condition; and for construction sites, the condition of safety facility fixation and damage will be focused on.

After inspection, issues that can be corrected on-site will be immediately addressed. If serious defects or risks are found, emergency measures such as repair, reinforcement, prohibition of use, or evacuation orders will be taken. Furthermore, a safety inspection real-name system will be implemented to disclose inspection results and progress in detail, enhancing facility managers’ accountability and residents’ trust.

Additionally, Jongno-gu regularly operates the ‘Safer Citizens’ Group,’ consisting of district officials, residents, and experts, to strive for systematic and prompt safety management. Residents familiar with the area continuously observe every corner of Jongno, report hazards, experts provide advice, and district officials handle facility support and management.

A district official said, “Last year, before the thawing season, safety inspections were conducted on 294 sites in the district, resulting in measures such as tree removal, ceiling and floor repairs, and replacement of construction site barriers. Currently, 249 sites are under management, but since there may be places beyond administrative reach, we ask residents to pay close attention to their surroundings and immediately report any hazards to the community service center or district office.”