Gwangju Buk-gu Wins Presidential Award at the 'Korea Design Awards'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] On the 6th, Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Moon In) announced that it won the Presidential Award at the ‘2021 Korea Design Awards’ hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The 23rd Korea Design Awards this year is an award given to local governments, excellent companies, and contributors who have contributed to the national design industry and economic development through design management, development, management, and fostering.

Buk-gu has been striving to enhance the competitiveness of culture, economy, and urban design based on the administrative value that ‘design is the power to change cities and lives.’

This year, as the nation’s first pilot project, it promoted the ‘International Cultural and Arts Event Hosting City Visual Image Improvement Project’ targeting the area around the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall.

During the 13th Gwangju Biennale and the 9th Gwangju Design Biennale, the media facade performances displayed on the exterior walls of the exhibition hall provide citizens and visitors with a unique spectacle.

In addition, LED lighting symbolizing the city of light, Gwangju, and pedestrian-centered sidewalks were installed to improve the nightscape and pedestrian environment. Collaborations were made with Egyptian designer Karim Rashid, famous for Hyundai Card design, and American graphic designer Paula Scher, who created logos for CNN and CITI Bank, to create art shelters (bus stops) and welcome signs.

Through such innovative urban landscape projects, Buk-gu enhanced the international city image befitting the venue of the Biennale and established a public design model that coexists with the local commercial district.

Since 2008, Buk-gu has also made efforts to foster the local design industry and revitalize the local economy through small and medium-sized enterprise design development support projects and job creation by nurturing design professionals.

Urban design efforts to resolve downtown hollowing, such as the ‘University Town-type Urban Regeneration New Deal Project,’ which adds design to urban regeneration, and a public art project that transformed the Munheung underpass into an open gallery, have also received favorable reviews.

Meanwhile, with this award, Buk-gu achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Presidential Award five times, following achievements in creating a women-friendly city during the 7th local government term, excellent cases of housing welfare, national disaster management, and financial development merit. It also achieved a record of winning five awards including the Prime Minister’s Award for youth policy, children’s safety, low birthrate response, safety culture, and gender impact assessment, making it a five-time winner of both the Presidential and Prime Minister’s Awards.

Mayor Moon In of Buk-gu said, “We will continue to apply design administration in various fields of district governance to continuously enhance competitiveness as a design city in name and reality.”

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong bong2910@asiae.co.kr

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