Dongtan Rental Housing Praised by President Moon Wins 'Presidential Award' at Architecture Culture Awards

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Announces Winners of the 2021 Korea Architecture Culture Awards

President Moon Jae-in is walking while inspecting the rental housing complex at Dongtan Public Rental Housing, a commemorative complex for 1 million LH rental homes, in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of December 11 last year, together with former Ministers of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi and Byeon Chang-heum.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In December last year, President Moon Jae-in visited and praised the 'Hwaseong Dongtan2 A4-1 Block Happy Housing' in Gyeonggi-do, saying it would be 'highly preferred.' This project won the Presidential Award at this year's Korea Architecture Culture Awards.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 18th that at the '2021 Korea Architecture Culture Awards' ceremony held at the Architects Association Hall in Seocho-dong, Seoul, Hwaseong Dongtan2 A4-1 Block Happy Housing, Je Jeong-gu Community Center, YG-One Headquarters, and Mangrove Sungin received the honor of winning the Presidential Award.

The Architecture Culture Awards have been held since 1992 to discover outstanding architectural works that contribute to the development of architectural culture. The awards are hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Institute of Registered Architects, with the latter organizing the event.

The awards are divided into three categories: completed buildings, emerging architects, and planned buildings. A total of 24 works were selected in the completed buildings category, including four grand prizes. Additionally, six works were selected in the emerging architects category and 26 in the planned buildings category.

Hwaseong Dongtan 2 A4-1 Block Happy Housing

The Hwaseong Dongtan2 A4-1 Block Happy Housing, which was selected as the grand prize winner in the communal housing category, received high praise for linking the nearby neighborhood park and waterfront park and connecting the complex with a circular public street, enabling communication between the city and its people. It was also recognized for pioneering a new residential culture in rental apartments by combining living spaces with shared spaces to form alleyways.

This Happy Housing was visited by President Moon Jae-in in December last year, along with then Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi. During the visit, President Moon praised the project, saying, "Many newlyweds will prefer this," and added, "One child is standard for newlywed couples, and in the case of young children, two are possible."

However, the industry later criticized President Moon's statement as exaggerated, pointing out that the area is only 41 to 44 square meters, making it difficult for a family of four to live there. In fact, there was controversy as vacancies remained unfilled.

In the social and public category, the 'Je Jeong-gu Community Center' located in Goseong-gun, Gyeongnam, won the grand prize. This small cultural space honors the communal life of the late human rights activist Je Jeong-gu, who devoted his life to urban poor communities.

In the private sector, the 'YG-One Headquarters' built in Songdo International City, Incheon, won the award, while in the general residential category, 'Mangrove Sungin,' constructed in Sungin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, was recognized. Mangrove Sungin is a shared housing for single-person households.

The 'Architect of the Year Award,' given to individuals with outstanding contributions dedicated to the field of architecture, was awarded to the production team of MBC's 'Save Me! Homes.' The show was praised for introducing various types of neighborhood houses, contributing to the creation of a new urban residential culture by moving away from apartment-centered urban living.

Kim Heung-jin, Director of the Land and Urban Office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We hope that excellent architectural works will be widely disseminated through the Architecture Culture Awards, boosting the pride of architects and continuing efforts to promote new architectural culture."

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