New Art Museum by Songpa Seokchon Lake Named 'The Gallery Hosu'

After Nationwide 200 Name Proposals and Preference Survey, Final Selection Named as 'Grand Prize Winner'
Concise and Sophisticated Name Condensing Spatial Identity → Birth of an Internationally Inspired Waterfront Art Museum

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that the name of the new art gallery by Seokchon Lake, scheduled to open in November, has been designated as ‘The Gallery HOSU’.

The district received a total of about 200 name submissions nationwide through a public contest held from July 29 to August 9. To gauge public preference, an anonymous survey was conducted to rank 10 shortlisted candidate names selected through a preliminary screening.

The top 5 candidates from this ranking advanced to the final evaluation. After a thorough assessment by the ‘Naming Selection Committee,’ which included external experts, one grand prize, one gold prize, and three silver prizes were awarded. The grand prize winner, ‘The Gallery HOSU,’ was chosen as the new gallery’s name.

‘The Gallery HOSU’ is a word that encapsulates the identity of the space. It combines the building’s unique function with the English word for art gallery, ‘The Gallery,’ to evoke an international sensibility, and ‘HOSU,’ meaning lake, representing the district’s iconic tourist attraction, Seokchon Lake, thus reflecting its locational characteristics.

A district official stated, “The main evaluation comment was that the name is simple and concise, making it intuitive for foreign visitors to understand,” adding, “We will develop branding that highlights the sophisticated and modern tone that matches the gallery’s impression.”

‘The Gallery HOSU,’ opening this November, is the district’s first standalone gallery building, constructed on a 1,400㎡ site by the east lake of Seokchon Lake with a total floor area of 709㎡. The two exhibition halls will be sized at 255㎡ (77 pyeong) on the basement first floor and 156㎡ (47 pyeong) on the ground floor. The interior of the exhibition halls will be connected to the surrounding walking paths to encourage casual visits by anyone. A rooftop observatory offering panoramic views of Seokchon Lake will also be created.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “I hope that ‘The Gallery HOSU,’ which is about to open, will elevate the status of our district as an international tourist city and become a new tourist attraction for the district,” and added, “We will strive to establish a dignified infrastructure and operate it with substance so that everyone can always enjoy high-quality culture and arts.”