Seoul City Registers 8 Outstanding Architectural Assets Owned by Public and Private Sectors

Bukchon Hanokcheong

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] On the 5th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has registered eight sites, including buildings located in the downtown areas of Jongno-gu, Jung-gu, and Yongsan-gu, as 'Outstanding Architectural Assets.'

The eight Outstanding Architectural Assets include five modern and contemporary buildings such as hanoks, registered through direct applications (consultations) by owners and property managers, one spatial environment site, and two infrastructure sites. These were approved in their original form by the city’s Architectural Committee (Architectural Assets Division) and finally registered on the 30th of last month.

Among the buildings, four public sector sites were registered: Bukchon Hanokcheong, Seoul Museum of Craft Art Textile Hall, Sunrin Internet High School Auditorium, and Gyeongbok High School Gymnasium. The private sector includes one site, Gonggong Ilho (formerly Samteo Building). Three sites with historical, socio-cultural, and landscape value?Donhwamun-ro, Sajik Tunnel, and Myeongdong Underground Shopping Center?were also registered as Outstanding Architectural Assets in the spatial environment and infrastructure categories, recognized for preserving the original urban structure or being pioneering models in Seoul.

There are seven Outstanding Architectural Assets in the public sector. These architectural assets maintain the structure, form, and materials from the time of construction and are still in use today. They possess historical, landscape, artistic, and socio-cultural values that reflect the era and architectural styles of their creation.

No. 4 Bukchon Hanokcheong (1 above-ground floor, total floor area 150.8㎡) is located in the hanok alley of 11 Gahoe-dong, Jongno-gu. It is a large-scale urban hanok developed after the 1930s, maintaining a 'ㄷ-shaped' layout and the appearance of a small-roofed house. No. 5 Seoul Museum of Craft Art Textile Hall (formerly Pungmoon Girls' High School Science Building, 5 above-ground floors, total floor area 2954㎡) was designed by architect Kim Jeong-su, who was interested in 1960s technology and materials, using precast concrete for the exterior facade. It is an early example of industrialized architecture and is currently undergoing remodeling while preserving the exterior as much as possible.

No. 6 Sunrin Internet High School Auditorium (1 above-ground floor, total floor area 396㎡), located in Cheongpa-dong, Yongsan-gu, is a school facility estimated to have been built in the 1930s. It is a masonry building, one of three consecutive buildings, with only one remaining. The masonry technique, convex joints, chimney, and ventilation holes are excellent details, preserving the original form of a modern-era school building. No. 7 Gyeongbok High School Gymnasium (2 above-ground floors, total floor area 1689㎡), located in Cheongun-dong, Jongno-gu, was built in 1971 with exposed concrete. The wall construction and finishing retain the design characteristics of 1960s exposed concrete techniques. Reliefs related to sports are installed on the exterior walls.

No. 8 Donhwamun-ro (Waryong-dong, Jongno-gu) is a representative historic street integrated with Changdeokgung Palace from the Joseon Dynasty. Along with Pimatchil Road located behind it, it has preserved the original urban structure well, holding historical, landscape, and socio-cultural value. No. 9 Sajik Tunnel (Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu), built in 1967, is Seoul’s first tunnel and a facility that helps understand the expansion of the road network connecting downtown, Sinchon, and Yeouido. No. 10 Myeongdong Underground Shopping Center (Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu) is an underground road built in the 1960s to reduce traffic congestion. It also serves commercial functions and was a bustling shopping area in the 1970s and 1980s, reflecting the era’s social atmosphere and serving as a model for underground shopping streets.

In the private sector, Gonggong Ilho (Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu) is one of architect Kim Swoo-geun’s representative buildings and the pioneer of red brick buildings in the Daehangno area. The form, structure, and spatial composition from the time of construction have been well preserved. Along with its historical, landscape, and artistic value, it holds socio-cultural significance. After an application by Public Ground and review, it was registered as Seoul’s Outstanding Architectural Asset No. 11.

Outstanding Architectural Assets are a registration concept based on owners’ applications, aiming to support owners who wish to utilize architectural assets with historical, landscape, artistic, and socio-cultural value while preserving their worth. Registered Outstanding Architectural Assets can receive financial support for management costs through review by the Seoul Architectural Committee (Architectural Assets Division). Within the scope of maintaining the characteristics of Outstanding Architectural Assets, some regulations such as the Building Act and Parking Lot Act may be relaxed.

Kang Maeng-hoon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Urban Regeneration Office, stated, "Architectural assets around us, which embody layers of history and culture, require effective support rather than regulation. As the value of old buildings, places, and spaces is being re-recognized, we will expand tangible support so that owners can feel pride and preserve them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.