Large-scale cultural facilities, including a performance venue and a museum, are set to be developed in the Seoripul Special Planning Zone in Seocho-gu, Seoul, with completion targeted for 2030.
 
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the 17th Urban and Architectural Joint Committee, held on October 14, approved the proposed decision on the Seoripul District Unit Plan and Special Planning Zone.
 
The approval confirms the construction of cultural infrastructure worth 52.6 billion KRW and significantly relaxes building-use regulations to allow greater flexibility in responding to changing commercial and cultural demands.
 
The site is located near Seocho Station on Subway Line 2 and adjacent to the Seoripul Tunnel, providing convenient access to central Gangnam. It also lies along a cultural and artistic corridor connecting Sebitseom to the Seoul Arts Center, making it a suitable location for the integrated development of office, cultural, and commercial facilities.

In August 2023, a revision to the detailed development plan for Seoripul Special Planning Zone A established plans for 529,980 square meters of office space, a 17,400-square-meter performance venue, and a 19,500-square-meter museum.
 
The performance complex will comprise four venues: a large auditorium with 760 seats, two medium-sized theaters with 206 and 191 seats, respectively, and a small, flexible venue with a capacity of 50. It will also include rehearsal rooms and other facilities.
 
Based on a design by architect Kim Chan-joong, the architectural plan has been developed to harmonize with the surrounding environment of Seoripul Park. The Seocho District Office will operate the facility directly, with the aim of strengthening the region’s cultural and artistic infrastructure.
 
The museum, designed as a “visible storage facility,” will comprise two basement levels and seven above-ground floors. As Korea’s first open-access storage facility, it will allow visitors to observe not only the storage and management of collections but also the restoration process. The design by Herzog & de Meuron was selected in an international design competition held in 2023.
 
The facility will bring together the functional requirements of art storage and distinctive architectural design, offering the public an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how artworks are preserved and restored while engaging more closely with art and culture in their everyday lives.

References

• 서울시 보도자료 (Seoul Metropolitan Government Press Release)