International Design Competition for the Construction of the New Gangbuk-gu Office Building

'Gangbuk-gu New Government Building Construction Project International Design Competition'
May 14 - June 14 Architect Participation Recruitment
Architectural Design Proposals Submission by August 5... Winning Design Announcement on August 26
Basic and Detailed Design Rights Granted to Winning Architect

Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) has officially begun the preliminary work for the construction of the new Gangbuk-gu Office building, which will become a symbolic landmark in the northeastern region.

Gangbuk-gu will hold an "International Design Competition for the Construction of the Gangbuk-gu New Office Building" from June 14 to August 5 to develop an excellent architectural design plan for the new Gangbuk-gu Office building.

The Gangbuk-gu new office building project involves creating a public office and resident convenience facilities on the site where the current Gangbuk-gu Office is located (Suyu-dong 192-59 and 8 other parcels). After the project conditionally passed the "4th Local Finance Central Investment Review (Ministry of the Interior and Safety)" last November, the district is accelerating the construction aiming to start in 2026 and complete in 2028. To select an outstanding architectural design, this international design competition will be held.

The project site area is 6,400㎡, with a total floor area of approximately 65,532㎡. The architectural design scope covers all fields except electrical design, including architecture, civil engineering, landscaping, mechanical, communication, and fire protection. The construction cost is estimated at about 290 billion KRW, and the design service fee is about 14.3 billion KRW.

Eligibility for participation requires domestic architects to hold an architect license under the "Architectural Act" by the registration deadline (June 14, 2024), have registered their architectural office, have no disqualifications under relevant laws, and be engaged in normal architectural work. Foreign architects must hold an architect license according to their country's laws as of the registration deadline (June 14, 2024). However, foreign architects must participate jointly with a domestic architect licensed in Korea.

Domestic and international architects wishing to participate can apply through the "Project Seoul, Gangbuk-gu Competition Official Website" (the website opens on June 14). The application period is from May 14 to June 14. Applicants must submit required documents such as the design competition application form, joint application agreement, architectural office business registration certificate, and architect license.

After receiving applications from domestic and international architects by August 5 (Monday), the district will conduct document and interview evaluations and announce the final winner on August 26. The architect selected as the final winner will be granted the basic and detailed design rights for the new office building construction.

Additionally, since the Gangbuk-gu new office building project is a long-cherished wish of Gangbuk residents, the district plans to hold resident participation events to reflect their opinions.

Detailed information on the competition schedule, design guidelines, registration, and eligibility can be found on the "Project Seoul, Gangbuk-gu Competition Official Website."

Meanwhile, the current Gangbuk-gu Office building, completed in 1974, is an aging public facility. Through this new office building project, the district aims to resolve issues such as resident inconvenience due to facility aging, limited space, and administrative inefficiency caused by department dispersion. The project is also expected to increase residents' leisure opportunities through cultural and welfare spaces and revitalize the local economy.

Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, stated, "The Gangbuk-gu new office building will break away from the uniform and authoritative image of public offices and become a public building that embraces spaces for culture and relaxation for residents. It will serve as a landmark in Seoul's northeastern region and a central role in regional development." She added, "We will do our best to ensure that the new office building project, reflecting the vision of 'Gangbuk that empowers my life,' proceeds without any setbacks."