40 Companies Competing with 18 Projects
"Creating a Landmark in Gangbuk Harmonized with Nature"
Total Construction Cost 291.3 Billion KRW, Completion Scheduled for 2028
Winning entry 'Gangbuk Samgyeong (江北三景)' bird's-eye view. Gangbuk Samgyeong, consisting of three landscapes harmonizing the city's ground floor, the urban living room at the center, and the facade. Provided by Gangbuk-gu.
The consortium led by Haean Comprehensive Architects Office's "Gangbuk Samgyeong (江北三景)" was finally selected as the winning design in the international design competition for the construction of the new city hall in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, with a total construction cost of 291.3 billion KRW and a design fee of 14.4 billion KRW.
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) announced on the 26th that it has signed a design contract with the winning consortium, Haean Comprehensive Architects Office, and will begin the basic and detailed design of the new city hall starting next month, aiming to complete the design by early 2026.
The new Gangbuk-gu city hall is planned to be constructed on a site area of 6,400㎡ with a total floor area of 65,532㎡, with an estimated construction cost of approximately 291.3 billion KRW. Construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and be completed in 2028.
The winning design, Gangbuk Samgyeong, was submitted by a consortium consisting of Haean Comprehensive Architects Office, POSCO A&C Architects Office, and D&B Architects Office.
The consortium's design proposal features three key landscapes: ▲“The Urban Maru,” a plaza on the first floor designed for residents to enjoy ▲“The Living Room of Gangbuk,” where the natural scenery of Bukhansan Mountain can be experienced both inside and outside the building ▲“The Landmark of Gangbuk,” an original architectural beauty with a soft contour facade reinterpreting the clouds on the slopes of Bukhansan Mountain. This design received high praise from the judging panel.
Professor Park Hang-seop of Gachon University, chair of the judging committee, stated, “The winning design creates an open and accessible plaza where diverse cultural activities and communication among local residents can freely take place, enhancing publicness. It also harmonizes with the natural scenery of Bukhansan and other surroundings, featuring unique sculptural beauty. This will set the direction for urban development and serve as a landmark.”
The international design competition, held from May 14 to August 19, attracted significant interest from the industry, with 94 teams from 133 domestic and international firms registering. Ultimately, 18 submissions were received from 40 firms. The eight-member judging committee selected five finalists through the first round of written evaluations on the 9th of this month, and on the 19th, chose one winning design and four awardees in the second round of face-to-face evaluations.
Gangbuk-gu is promoting the construction of the new city hall to consolidate scattered public administrative facilities within the district to provide one-stop administrative services, and to supply lacking living facilities such as performance halls, care centers, and resident convenience facilities.
Mayor Lee Soon-hee of Gangbuk-gu stated, “The new city hall construction project is part of a major plan to achieve both nature conservation and urban development for the new future of Gangbuk-gu. The new city hall will serve as a beautiful and original landmark embodying more convenient administrative services and a future-oriented resident life hub, driving the economic development of the Suyu Station area.”
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