Korea's First 'Cheonggyecheon Sewage Treatment Plant' Reborn as On-site History Museum

Seoul City Unveils Winning Entry of International Design Competition 'Minimal Intervention'
Minimizing Architectural Intervention and Creating Ecological Wetlands in Outdoor Spaces... Opening in May 2023

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The nation's first 'Cheonggyecheon Sewage Treatment Plant,' which ceased operations 13 years ago and where now neither the sound of machines nor traces of people remain, will be reborn in 2023 as an on-site history museum where visitors can directly see and experience the sewage treatment process of that era.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled on the 22nd the winning entry of the international design competition for the blueprint of the 'Cheonggye Sewage History Experience Center,' a project to regenerate the old Cheonggyecheon sewage treatment plant area into a historical and cultural space. The winning design, titled 'Vanishing Acts' by Todo Architects Co., Ltd., led by CEO Kim Jae-yoon, proposes a restrained concept that preserves value.

The Cheonggyecheon Sewage Treatment Plant was planned in 1962 but due to financial constraints, construction began in 1970 through an AID loan agreement ($3.5 million) and was completed in 1976. The facility was gradually expanded and renamed 'Jungnang Sewage Treatment Plant' in 2005, taking its current form. In 2007, with the advanced treatment and modernization project of Jungnang Sewage Treatment Plant, most of the Cheonggyecheon Sewage Treatment Plant was demolished (buried underground), leaving only the inflow pump station and inflow pipelines intact but non-operational.

The winning design proposes a 'value-preserving restrained concept' to utilize the building itself, which holds historical significance as an industrial era legacy and the first of its kind in Korea, as a historical and cultural space.

The core facility, the sewage pump station (984㎡), will have minimal architectural intervention to preserve its original form as much as possible. The design emphasizes allowing visitors to experience the cross-section of the pump station and vividly understand its operating system by passing through the interior of the building.

Inside the sewage pump station, a cloud-bridge style viewing path will be installed, creating a unique experience where the spatial characteristics of the existing building meet nature. Visitors can observe beams of light entering through ceiling gaps, the shimmering reflections of groundwater in the dark, machine-filled space, and feel the cool breeze rising through the inflow pipelines, reminding them that this was once a water passage. A newly constructed visitor center at the entrance will include amenities such as a caf?, souvenir shop, and nursing room.

Part of the outdoor space (11,500㎡) will be developed into an ecological wetland by drawing out groundwater that seeps and accumulates through the pump facilities, providing visitors with a comfortable resting area.

The international design competition lasted about four months with participation from 23 teams domestically and internationally. A jury composed of experts from various fields selected five teams in the first round of judging on September 1st, and unanimously chose the final winner in the second round in November. The judging process was broadcast live on YouTube.

Chairperson of the jury, Lee Eun-kyung, CEO of EMA Architects, commented, "This work presents the most restrained proposal for the cultural transformation of industrial facilities and suggests future possibilities. By focusing on constructive actions, it encourages free visits inside and outside the industrial facility and encounters with each space."

The city plans to complete the basic and detailed designs with the winning team by August next year, start construction in November 2021, and open the center in May 2023. In the long term, the city will consider registering the site as a cultural heritage to preserve and promote the historical value of modern industrial heritage.

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