If You Dream of Becoming an Architect... Seoul City to Operate 'Seoul Urban Architecture School' Starting June

Celebrating 10th Anniversary This Year with Structured Curriculum
Courses, Experiences, and Field Trips Offered
Customized Education for Children, Adolescents, and Adults

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 26th that it will operate the ‘2024 Seoul Urban Architecture School’ for children, adolescents, and the general public from June to November.

The Seoul Urban Architecture School is the only architecture school in Korea operated by a public institution for children and citizens, and it marks its 10th anniversary this year.

This year, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Seoul Urban Architecture School has developed an advanced curriculum under the theme ‘ScaleSCALE.’ ‘ScaleSCALE’ is an acronym for Seoul, City, Architecture & Lecture, Event. The educational goal is set as ‘to elevate the cultural insight of Seoul citizens regarding urban architecture by one level,’ and lectures and experiential activities will be conducted according to three main themes?Seoul, City, Architecture?and monthly designated sub-themes.

Lectures are divided into basic and advanced classes according to participants’ interests and levels. The program consists of a total of 30 sessions in the first and second halves of the year. The basic class covers fundamental knowledge on topics such as the charm of Seoul, urban composition, and architectural elements, while the advanced class delivers in-depth content on reading Seoul, reading the city, and reading architecture.

An experiential program called ‘Making My Own House’ will also be offered. This course allows participants to design and build their ‘own house’ and is tailored to different age groups including elementary school students, middle and high school students, and general adults, with single-session and multi-session programs available. The middle and high school class is newly established this year and is expected to help students explore career paths.

Through urban architecture field trips exploring eight areas of Seoul with experts, participants can also learn about the history and stories embedded in the buildings and the areas visited. The themes are ‘Growth of Insight’ and ‘Moments of Charm.’ Anyone aged elementary school or older can attend, and the trips will be held from August to October.

Applications for program participation can be made each month through the Seoul Public Service Reservation website. Starting this year, participants will be selected by lottery rather than on a first-come, first-served basis.

Detailed information on the schedule and content of the ‘2024 Seoul Urban Architecture School’ can be found on the Seoul Urban Architecture Center website.

Han Byung-yong, Director of the Seoul Housing Policy Office, stated, “To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Seoul Urban Architecture School, we have systematized the Seoul Urban Architecture Center’s programs further. We hope this will be an opportunity for citizens to develop interest in the city and architecture and to build foundational knowledge and literacy.”