Old Seongdong Detention Center Newlywed Hope Town Harmonizes with Art and Culture

Selected Work of Newlywed Hope Town Design Competition by D.A. Group Engineering Comprehensive Architecture Office
Proposing a Street-Centered Village Combining a Divided City into One with Art, Culture, and Creativity

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH Corporation) announced on the 25th that the design proposal by D.A. Group Engineering Comprehensive Architecture Office was selected as the winning entry for the newlywed hope town to be built on the site of the former Seongdong Detention Center.

The Newlywed Hope Town is a complex town to be developed on the site of the former Seongdong Detention Center in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, which has been unused since the relocation to Munjeong Legal Complex in 2017. Innovative housing reflecting the lifestyle of newlywed couples is planned to be constructed.

The winning design proposed the basic concepts of a "Creative Culture Power Plant" and a "Borderless Street." ▲ It aims to combine residential types that were previously divided by walls into a single city, constructing future-oriented communal housing centered on people and places ▲ and to create a street-centered village with loose boundaries combining art, culture, and creativity.

Seoul Metropolitan Government and SH Corporation plan to proceed with basic and detailed designs based on the winning proposal and aim to start construction in the second half of next year.

The site around the former Seongdong Detention Center (84,432㎡) has had its development plan established through prior negotiations from July last year to April this year, with land use concretized for Newlywed Hope Town, communal housing, office facilities, and public contribution facilities. After collecting residents' opinions and undergoing review by the Urban and Architectural Joint Committee, the plan will be finalized by the end of this year.

The communal housing site (26,773㎡) is currently being prepared for sale to the private sector with plans to build 600 sale housing units. The office facility site (9,263㎡), adjacent to Ogeum Station, is planned to be developed as a complex business and startup space, with SH Corporation currently establishing detailed plans.

The plan for the public contribution facility site (18,992㎡) will be finalized after collecting residents' opinions in the first half of next year.

A Seoul city official stated, "With this, the area around the former Seongdong Detention Center, which was previously isolated by the facility and lacked smooth communication with the community, is expected to transform into a neighborhood-sharing resident communication space, a vibrant area, and a region where housing and the economy are revitalized."

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