Bangbae Sup Environment Library to Open on the 24th

Contemplation and Reading at the Forest Library... Bangbae Forest Environmental Library Opens on the 24th

District Office Opens an Environmentally Specialized Library Spanning Basement 1 to 2nd Floor, Harmonizing with Seoripul Neighborhood Park and Cherry Blossom Deck

Themed ‘A Library That Changes Life Through Environment and Culture,’ Incorporating Eco-Friendly Elements Throughout Design and Construction

Spaces Reflecting the Growth Cycle of People and Forests: Sprout, Leaf, Fruit, Connected, Quiet Forest

On the 24th, an Environmental Festival with Residents Will Be Held from 10 AM to 2 PM to Celebrate the Library Opening

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, “We Will Continue to Prepare Various Support Measures to Promote Reading Culture”

A nature-friendly library with about 140,000 pyeong of Seoripul Neighborhood Park as its backyard is being established in the Bangbae-dong area of Seocho-gu.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will open the Seocho-gu Bangbae Forest Library (hereafter ‘Bangbae Forest Environmental Library’, Bangbae-dong 126-1), an eco-friendly complex cultural space in the urban forest, on the 24th.

Along with the opening, a celebration event themed around the environment will be held with residents.

The Bangbae Forest Environmental Library has a total floor area of 1,632㎡ and spans from basement level 1 to the 2nd floor above ground. Construction began in November 2020, and it was created as a nature-friendly forest library harmonizing with Seoripul Neighborhood Park and the cherry blossom deck.

This place features environmental themes not commonly found in regular libraries. Introducing the concept of ‘a library that changes life through environment and culture,’ eco-friendly elements were incorporated throughout the entire construction process from design to groundbreaking. The building’s exterior is shaped like a comma, creating a reading culture space for rest and meditation while enjoying nature, and environmental improvement methods such as solar panels were applied.

First, looking at the first floor above ground, the ‘Living Forest’ concept is realized with a ceiling height of about 5.6 meters and wall bookshelves shaped like a green forest, giving visitors the feeling of being inside a forest.

Additionally, each space is uniquely decorated reflecting the growth cycle of people and forests. Spaces named after forest life stages?Sprout (Kids Room), Leaf (Children’s Materials Room), Fruit (General Materials Room), Connected (Reading Room), Quiet (Study), and Forest Seat (Cafe)?are arranged sequentially to represent life cycle stages.

First, ‘Sprout Forest’ is a space designed to offer infants and toddlers their first reading experience, created with consideration for children’s safety and behavior patterns. The ‘Leaf Forest’ children’s materials room is decorated with large windows overlooking green areas and bookshelves of various heights to stimulate imagination. In the ‘Fruit Forest’ general materials room, visitors can freely enjoy around 20,000 books.

In addition, the ‘Connected Forest’ reading room hosts environmental exhibitions and experiential programs; the ‘Quiet Forest’ Bangbae Forest Study offers a cozy reading environment with sofas and tables like home; and the ‘Forest Seat’ cafe practices zero waste and eco-life. On the 2nd floor above ground, five seminar rooms called ‘Small Forest’ and ‘Open Forest’ serve as spaces for various environmental education and community activities for residents.

Also, the courtyard (a small yard inside the library) called ‘Sunlight Yard’ and the rooftop ‘Cloud Yard’ are landscaped with wide green lawns, creating healing spaces where visitors can enjoy the refreshing mountain air and birdsong with Seoripul Neighborhood Park as the backdrop.

Various specialized programs themed on the environment will be offered here. Representative programs include ‘Poets Painting the Forest,’ where participants experience the forest in Seoripul Park and then express the environment and nature through poetry and drawings at the library, and the ‘Librarian Puppet Troupe,’ linked to environmental books. These programs aim to provide diverse experiences for all ages, from children to seniors, encouraging reflection and action on environmental issues.

On the 24th, from 10 AM to 2 PM, the opening ceremony and various experiential programs will be held. Marking June as Environment Month, the ceremony will begin with a tape-cutting using recycled magazines, and an ‘Environmental Drawing Contest’ in collaboration with the Seocho-gu Environmental Education Support Center will be held simultaneously.

Additionally, a variety of programs for the whole family to think about the environment together are prepared. These include ‘Seocho Family Hope Tree Planting,’ where participants plant a thuja tree and hang hope signs they wrote themselves, as well as ecological sensitivity storytelling for toddlers titled ‘The Forest Is My Friend’ and an environmental play called ‘The Three Energy Brothers.’

Meanwhile, with the opening of the Bangbae Forest Environmental Library, the district has completed ‘one library per zone.’ Starting with Banpo Library (Banpo Zone) in 2013, followed by Naegok Library inside Naegok Middle School, the nation’s first village-integrated school (Naegok Zone) in 2018, Yangjae Library (Yangjae Zone) in 2019, and Seocho Youth Library (Seocho Zone) suited for the 4th Industrial Revolution era in 2020, the district has successively opened libraries in each zone.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “The Bangbae Forest Environmental Library, embracing the 140,000-pyeong Seoripul Neighborhood Park, is a space where all generations can think about, experience, and practice environmental awareness through reading,” adding, “We will continue to prepare various support measures to revitalize reading culture.”