Parking Lot Space Reborn as Senior Health Promotion Facility
The Well-Aging Center operated by Gangnam-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) won the 'Grand Prize' at the 2024 Seoul Architecture Awards.
Gangnam-gu announced on the 31st that this award marks a consecutive win following last October's Ministerial Award at the Korea Spatial Culture Awards, achieving a remarkable feat by being recognized as an outstanding public building representing Gangnam-gu.
The Seoul Architecture Awards are given to buildings that have contributed to Seoul's change and development through creative attempts and efforts. This year, 72 works were submitted.
The Gangnam-gu Well-Aging Center was established to help systematic health management for seniors aged 60 and over. When it opened in December 2021, it attracted attention as the first senior specialized health promotion center among local governments nationwide.
The district, together with On Design Architects Office (CEO Park Hyun-jin), which was responsible for architectural design and supervision, found a solution to utilize the third-floor parking space of the Gangnam-gu Dementia Safety Center in the process of finding space for the facility in the space-limited urban area. In this competition, this solid space utilization and specialized programs for each space were highly evaluated.
The exterior of the center features a bright and cheerful design based on green tones to harmonize with the greenery of the nearby Seonjeongneung. The 662.88㎡ interior space is elegantly connected around the ▲G-Track for indoor walking, and is composed of function-specific spaces such as ▲Group Sling, ▲Physical Function Evaluation Room, ▲Studio, ▲Healthy Cooking Education Room, and ▲Relaxation Room to operate customized programs.
In particular, the center's representative program, the Active Senior course, uses professional medical devices equipped with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to conduct physical function evaluations, followed by one-on-one exercise prescriptions and nutrition education. In addition, specialized programs such as group exercise programs and healthy cooking education for chronic disease prevention are operated regularly.
District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong said, “So far, over 28,000 people have used the center, and I am pleased that this facility, loved by many residents, has been recognized for its excellence,” adding, “We will continue to operate specialized programs as a leading model of senior health promotion centers to support the happy and healthy aging of our residents.”
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