Jongno Seoul Theater Transforms into Up to 26-Story Office Facility

Gwan-su-dong Redevelopment Zone 3 District Maintenance Plan Amendment Approved
Open Green Spaces and Neighborhood Facilities Also Created
25-Story Office Building to Be Built on the North Side of Cheonggyecheon

A 26-story office building will be constructed on the site of Seoul Theater in Jongno, Seoul, which closed in 2021.

A bird's-eye view of District 3 in the Gansudong Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment Zone, Seoul. Provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

On the 4th, Seoul City held the 16th Urban Planning Committee meeting and announced on the 5th that it had approved a revised plan for the “Gwan-su-dong Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment District 3rd Zone Maintenance Plan Decision Amendment” containing this content.

The target site (59 Gwan-su-dong, Jongno-gu) is where Seoul Theater, which ceased operations in August 2021, was located. The area is densely packed with aging wooden structures, and frequent fires have raised the need for environmental improvements.

At this Urban Planning Committee meeting, a maintenance plan was finalized to allow the construction of office facilities with a floor area ratio of up to 1181% and a height of up to 109.5 meters by providing public facilities such as open green spaces, roads, and parks. On the first floor above ground, neighborhood living facilities linked to the open green space will be arranged to encourage street activation.

Within the open green space, media screens and water features will be introduced to commemorate Seoul Theater, and the building will host venture companies to promote urban economic revitalization. The open green space along the southern boundary of the site will be connected to the planned cultural park within the Gwan-su-dong district, creating a major pedestrian green axis. It will also link the open green space with the sidewalks along Donhwamun-ro to the east, securing pedestrian and resting spaces harmonized with greenery.

A bird's-eye view of District 8 in the Gwan-su-dong Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment Zone, Seoul. Provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

On the same day, the “Gwan-su-dong Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment District 8th Zone Maintenance Plan Decision Amendment” also passed review. At the site located north of Cheonggyecheon in Jongno-gu, a 25-story office building will be constructed. It is planned with a floor area ratio of up to 1199% and a height of up to 113 meters.

Open green spaces covering 25% of the site will be created along Supyo-ro and the Cheonggyecheon stream. This will provide citizens with walking and resting spaces and promote openness and street activation. On the second floor above ground, a public balcony with views of Cheonggyecheon will be created for use as a citizen-accessible space.

The city stated, “By introducing high-quality office facilities and creating public spaces for citizens in the Gwan-su-dong area, we will substantially improve the deteriorated urban space and contribute to revitalizing the city center.”