Opening of ‘Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru’ in Gangnam-gu

Nonhyeon-dong 40 Donation Facility Spanning Over 2,800 Pyeong Includes Public Parking, Gangnam Cultural Center, Global Lifelong Learning Center, and Library... Operated as the Nation's First Art-Specialized Library... Houses 180 Types of Art and Fashion Catalogs with Lending Services Available

Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) has built a complex cultural facility called Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru (40 Nonhyeon-ro 131-gil) and began operations on January 2nd of the new year.

Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru was designated as a district unit planning zone at 40 Nonhyeon-dong in 2017 and planned accordingly. In 2019, Shin Young Co., Ltd. constructed an apartment complex and donated the facility to the district. Under the goal of supplementing the lacking public cultural infrastructure in the area while simultaneously establishing a top-tier cultural facility, construction began in December 2020 and was completed on June 30, 2023. After interior work, the opening ceremony was held on December 27.

The facility’s name, ‘Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru,’ was selected through a public contest held from June to August last year. It signifies a cultural welfare space where residents gather to interact, enjoy culture, and pursue lifelong learning. The facility has a total floor area of 9,411.93㎡ (2,847 pyeong) and consists of six basement levels to five above-ground floors. ▲Basements 6 to 2 house a public parking lot with 66 spaces ▲Basement 1 to ground floor 1 is the Gangnam Cultural Center ▲Floors 2 to 3 operate as the Global Lifelong Learning Center ▲Floors 4 to 5 serve as the library.

The Gangnam Cultural Center relocated and expanded from its previous location in Yeoksam-dong (36 Teheran-ro 6-gil) to Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru. The center offers cultural lectures in humanities, art, music, and operates high-quality programs connecting tradition and the present, such as calligraphy and literary painting exhibitions, traditional arts competitions, and support for local festivals. With this expansion, the number of classrooms increased from 4 to 7, and the number of courses rose from 42 to 58. In particular, traditional arts courses such as Gyobang dance, Salpuri dance, Gyeonggi folk songs, and basic paper doll making were expanded.

The Global Lifelong Learning Center was newly established to supplement the previously insufficient lifelong learning facilities in the Sinsa, Apgujeong, Cheongdam, and Nonhyeon-dong areas. It offers various native language courses including English and French, and plans to provide differentiated foreign language education services and cultural experience programs in collaboration with embassies, educational foundations, and other specialized institutions.

Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru Library is a public library that relocated and expanded from the existing district small library, Nonhyeon Information Library. It consists of a comprehensive materials room on the 4th floor, a media materials room, a children’s materials room on the 5th floor, program rooms, club rooms, and a nursing room. It houses approximately 18,000 books, over 200 CDs, DVDs, and board games. The nearby existing Nonhyeon Information Library (169 Hakdong-ro) will operate as a branch of Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru Library, reopening on January 15 after environmental improvement works.

Notably, Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru Library will operate as the nation’s first art-specialized library, tailored to the location environment of Nonhyeon-dong, which is densely packed with Gangnam Art Street and interior shops. It lends out 180 types of art catalogs covering culture, art, and fashion. The collection includes about 80 catalogs of famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, Matisse, Dal?, Manet, and Monet; 7 fashion catalogs including Chanel, Dior, and Prada; around 40 interior design catalogs; and about 40 catalogs related to landscaping and flowers, with plans to continuously expand the art-specialized collection.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, stated, “The newly opened Nonhyeon Munhwa Maru will resolve the shortage of parking spaces and cultural facilities in this area and will be operated with cultural and artistic content specialized for the region.” He added, “We will continue to expand cultural facility infrastructure for various age groups and hold high-quality cultural events to create a city full of culture and leisure.”