Songpa-gu Creates Sculptures and Murals at Seongnae Bridge and Seongnae 7, 6, 5, 4 Bridges... Gangdong-gu Opens Cheonho Youth Culture House

[Seoul District News] Songpa-gu Transforms Songpa Dullegil Seongnaecheon Section Under-Bridge into Cultural and Art Space for Residents... Gangdong-gu's First 'Gurip Cheonho Youth Culture House' Preparing for Opening Aiming for April

Park Sung-soo, Mayor of Songpa-gu, attending the unveiling ceremony of the Naecheon Bridge Underpass Improvement Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) has transformed the area beneath the bridges along the Seongnaecheon section of the Songpa Dullegil into a cultural and artistic space for residents.

At the unveiling ceremony of the ‘Seongnaecheon Bridge Underpass Improvement Project’ held on April 1, Mayor Park Seong-su stated, “The area beneath the Seongnaecheon bridges, which had been recognized only as a pedestrian passage, has been renovated into a specialized space full of various attractions and activities,” adding, “We will enhance the Songpa Dullegil with culture and arts to create a more beloved walking tourism course.”

The Songpa Dullegil is a 21 km circular walking trail connecting four waterways flowing along the outskirts of Songpa: Seongnaecheon, Jangjicheon, Tancheon, and the Han River. Last July, the district opened the Tancheon path, which had been closed for 50 years, and is accelerating the Season 2 project to connect local landmarks with the Songpa Dullegil.

This project is also part of Songpa Dullegil Season 2. The district selected the Seongnaecheon section, which has the highest foot traffic among the four Songpa Dullegil courses, focusing on the areas around Seongnae Bridge and Seongnae Bridges 7, 6, 5, and 4 as pilot sites to implement a landscape improvement project.

Ideas such as lighting improvements, wall painting, photo zones, and exhibition spaces were gathered through residents, experts, related organizations, and the Songpa Dullegil Operation Council. After consulting with architecture and design experts, improvement directions were set, and adjacent bridges were assigned consistent themes.

Near the Songpa Women’s Soccer Stadium, Seongnae Bridge was designed considering the wide pedestrian and idle spaces by installing sculptures. Under the theme of ‘Common Living Room,’ wooden door-shaped walls, a piano, and a fireplace were installed to symbolize a living room, expressing the Songpa Dullegil as a space loved for healing and relaxation.

Seongnae Bridges 7 and 6 were transformed into ‘Small Galleries.’ Stainless steel frame-shaped sculptures were installed on the river-facing walls to allow for artwork exhibitions, while murals depicting people walking along the Songpa Dullegil were painted on the opposite walls.

Seongnae Bridges 5 and 4, which required brightness improvements, were decorated with light sculptures under the theme ‘Path of Flowing Water and Light.’ Seongnae Bridge 5 features colorful water droplet-shaped LED lights symbolizing the dynamic movement of the Songpa Dullegil, and Seongnae Bridge 4 expresses the leisurely daily life of the Dullegil through three-dimensional pictograms.

Recently, to celebrate the cherry blossom season, about 30 award-winning photos from the ‘Songpa Dullegil Excellent Photo Contest’ were exhibited under Seongnae Bridges 7, 6, and 5. Going forward, the district plans to use this space to display contest-winning works and pieces from district-run art groups.

Mayor Park Seong-su of Songpa-gu said, “The Songpa Dullegil is developing into a cultural and artistic landmark. We will continue to transform every urban space from the residents’ perspective,” adding, “We will focus on the Season 2 project to ensure that the well-maintained Songpa Dullegil becomes a sanctuary in daily life for many residents and visitors.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) is set to open its first youth cultural center, the ‘Gurip Cheonho Youth Cultural Center,’ on April 29.

‘Cheonho Youth Cultural Center’ (61 Cheonjung-ro, Gangdong-gu / total floor area 2015.62㎡ / basement 2 floors to 4 floors above ground) is a cultural and resting space for youth, providing customized spaces to satisfy diverse cultural needs and various youth-centered programs.

The district is promoting the establishment of four youth cultural centers by 2024 to expand facilities for young people. Among them, the first to open, ‘Gurip Cheonho Youth Cultural Center,’ is a facility built with a total budget of 13.7 billion KRW for site acquisition and construction in the Cheonho-dong area, which lacks living infrastructure facilities.

Since the initial project plan was established in October 2018, the district has actively collected opinions from youth and residents to create a user-centered space, reflected these in the design, started construction in September 2020, and is now preparing for the April opening this year.

The facility includes various spaces where youth can enjoy diverse and creative cultural activities: a book caf? for free reading and leisure, a cultural playground for traditional games, board games, and retro games, a shared kitchen, dance and vocal band rooms, a media playground for youth creators, and a future dream space for virtual career experiences based on the 4th industrial revolution.

Before opening, a ‘Youth Operating Committee’ was formed to ensure youth-centered management of the cultural center. The committee serves as a youth participation body that directly advises and evaluates the operation and programs of the youth cultural center, making it a youth-led facility.

Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon of Gangdong-gu said, “From design to construction, we incorporated opinions from youth and architectural advisors, and obtained certifications for ‘Barrier-Free Living Environment’ and ‘Zero Energy Building,’” adding, “The ‘Cheonho Youth Cultural Center,’ Gangdong-gu’s first youth cultural center, will become a landmark youth facility with its unique interior design adding fun and enjoyment and specialized program operations.”