Restoration Site of Daejeon’s First City Hall Built in 1937 Opened to Public

Columns, Beams, Walls, Original Windows, and Vaulted Ceilings from the Time of Construction Confirmed
Precise Restoration Project to Be Pursued by Comparing with Architectural Drawings of Daegu and Gunsan Public Assembly Halls

Mayor Lee Jangwoo is looking up at the ceiling of the first Daejeon City Hall. / Daejeon City

Daejeon City announced on the 26th that it had opened the restoration site of the original Daejeon City Hall, which was built in 1937 and designated as a modern architectural structure, to the media.

The city decided to purchase and preserve the first Daejeon City Hall, which faced demolition after changing owners several times, and is carrying out a restoration project to recover its value as a cultural heritage.

The public event held on this day highlighted the results of the first phase of dismantling construction, which took place from December last year to the end of February this year.

Through the dismantling work, the city confirmed that not only the structural components such as columns, beams, and walls from the 1937 construction remained, but also that many decorative elements such as the location of the original windows, ceiling moldings, and vaulted ceilings were largely preserved in their original form.

In addition, although some damage was found, many traces of the past, such as the restrooms and projection room stairs, were discovered, increasing the possibility of a successful restoration project in the future.

Considering that the original architectural drawings were lost, the city plans to proceed with the restoration project by comparing and analyzing the current structure and traces with the architectural drawings of Daegu Public Assembly Hall (1931) and Gunsan Public Assembly Hall (1934), which were found in the National Archives' Joseon Governor-General's Office documents.

The city will hold a public event for citizens on April 4 and 5, and in May, plans to host an academic conference on the preservation and utilization of the first Daejeon City Hall.

A detailed plan for the utilization of the building is expected to be released after the completion of the architectural planning service in May.

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, said, "The first city hall building, which started as the Daejeon Public Assembly Hall, is a building that embodies the history and identity of Daejeon, and at the same time, is the only remaining local public assembly hall building from the Japanese colonial period, making it an important architectural heritage on a national level. We will restore its authenticity as a cultural heritage and utilize it as a representative space of Daejeon where all citizens can feel pride and affection."