[The Editors' Verdict] The Correlation Between High-Rise Detention Centers and Infectious Diseases

Published 15 Jan.2021 14:05(KST)

On the 8th, the Minister of Justice, when questioned in the National Assembly about the COVID-19 outbreak at Dongbu Detention Center, stated that the issue stemmed from the ultra-high-rise densely populated facility built during the Lee Myung-bak administration and that overcrowding was the problem. Nevertheless, he apologized for the situation. While blaming the previous administration is beyond the scope of judgment, it is difficult to agree that the ultra-high-rise design is the problem.

Dongbu Detention Center is an urban-type detention facility. It is located in the city center, close enough to be connected underground to the courts and prosecutors' office. Its highest floor is the 12th floor. Nowadays, with most apartments exceeding 20 floors, it is hard to consider it ultra-high-rise. In Chicago, USA, there is a 28-story ultra-high-rise urban prison built in the 1970s. It was designed by Harry Weese, one of the top architects of the time. The prison, shaped like a massive triangular sculpture, has narrow, long, and irregularly placed windows to eliminate bars. Located in the city center, it remains a popular spot for tourists who enjoy taking photos or sketching. It is a representative example of maximizing the prison’s characteristics, where large windows are usually a hindrance, to create a landmark in the city.

There is no evidence that such ultra-high-rise detention centers are vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks. The problem seems to be ventilation. Just as we breathe, buildings need ventilation. The issue lies in heating and cooling; it is not feasible to heat or cool fresh outside air every time, so only some outside air is mixed in. However, spaces like hospitals or auditoriums require the entire indoor air to be replaced regularly. This is costly.

Ventilation equipment requires a large upfront investment. Fresh air must be supplied and indoor air exhausted through ducts, which are air pipes. Also, since about 1 meter of space is needed above the ceiling, the height of one floor in the building changes. A building that could be built with four floors must be built with three floors. Construction time also increases, so contractors tend not to pay attention to ventilation. They solve it with windows. To put it positively, this is natural ventilation, but it is like rain-fed farming, waiting for the wind.

Ventilation is a fundamental architectural performance. Without it, no matter how fancy the exterior, it cannot be considered a modern urban architectural space. It remains a shed or a temporary structure. Whether single-story or ultra-high-rise, a shed cannot create a healthy indoor environment in the city. The real problem is that public facilities like detention centers, schools, and hospitals are also built like sheds. Last summer, when the Ministry of Education instructed classrooms to keep windows open about one-third, it was an admission of the vulnerable ventilation environment in education.

Recently, even in a hospital where I was admitted, there was no ventilation. The air was trapped, and hot air blew from the ceiling. Although it was just one night, the breath from five patients made it suffocating. In the taxi returning from the hospital, instead of ventilating, the indoor air circulation button was pressed. When I opened the window, cold wind came in, and I politely asked the driver to ventilate. However, the response beyond the mask was despairing: "It uses a lot of fuel, so if you feel stuffy, please open the window." The ventilation system installed in the car was not used. Our society’s attitude, from taxi drivers to ministers, is consistent in worrying about infectious diseases by wearing masks but neglecting ventilation.

The COVID-19 outbreak at Dongbu Detention Center may be the cost of the mindset that ventilation is wasteful and the habit of building cheaply and quickly. The COVID-19 crisis once again reminds us of the importance of basics.