Dongjak-gu Breaks Ground on Yongyang Bongjeojeong Park View Cafe... Showcases Media Art Works at Magok Culture Street

[Seoul District News] Dongjak-gu Yongyang Bongjeojeong 'Observation Cafe' spans 487㎡ over 4 floors, offering panoramic views of the Han River and Namsan; expected to serve as a catalyst for the Bon-dong cafe street alongside 'THE Hangang' opened in September last year... Screenings every hour from 7:00 PM to 9:40 PM; participation by leading Korean media artist Jang Seung-hyo... Eunpyeong-gu selected for 'Our Neighborhood Artterior' contest for three consecutive years

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) will begin construction of the ‘Observation Cafe’ (located at Bondong San 3-10 area) next to Yongyangbongjeong Park, utilizing the sloped terrain at the park’s summit to harmonize with the surrounding natural environment, aiming for completion in April next year.

The district held a design competition to ensure that the ‘Observation Cafe’ would harmonize with the surrounding natural environment while featuring an original design to serve as a new landmark along the Han River. The winning design was selected through an external expert review in the architectural design field, and the design has now been finalized based on this.

The ‘Observation Cafe’ will have a total floor area of 487㎡ and consist of four above-ground floors: ▲1st floor parking lot ▲2nd and 3rd floor Han River view cafe ▲4th floor rooftop observation space. In particular, the 4th-floor rooftop will incorporate landscaping that reflects the natural feel of trees and grass, creating an eco-friendly space.

Conceptualized as the place with the best view of the Han River in Seoul, the ‘Observation Cafe’ is located at the summit of Yongyangbongjeong Park and offers panoramic views of the Han River and Namsan Mountain.

The district is promoting the ‘Yongyangbongjeong Area Tourism Attraction Project,’ which connects historical, cultural, and natural resources centered around Yongyangbongjeong in Bondong, located south of Hangang Bridge. Bondong is being transformed into the best scenic spot along the Han River under the vision of ‘River Hill, Bondong, embracing the Han River and history.’

Last April, the long-neglected hill that was Yongyangbongjeong Park was opened to residents after three years of preparation with the creation of a ‘Natural Yard.’ The old senior citizens’ center building was remodeled into Dongjak Youth Cafe No. 1, ‘THE Han River,’ which opened in September last year. The ‘Historical and Cultural Space Creation Project,’ themed on the historical value of Yongyangbongjeong, completed its design this year and is scheduled for completion in the first half of next year.

Additionally, the district has completed the Han River walking network (from Yeouinaru Station to Dongjak Station) linked to the revitalization plan for the Noryangjin area. The complex cultural space on the Han River at the old Noryangjin water intake facility and the open park redevelopment project of Nodeulnaru Park are progressing smoothly, aiming for opening by the end of 2023.

Lee Chang-woo, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, “With the opening of ‘THE Han River’ followed by the ‘Observation Cafe,’ we expect a synergistic effect in creating a cafe culture street in Bondong. Once all these projects are completed, the Noryangjin area including Bondong will undergo a transformation on the scale of a complete overhaul, becoming the best scenic spot along the Han River.”

Media Facade

Every night, a colorful spectacle unfolds on Magok Culture Street.

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Roh Hyun-song) announced that various media art works will be showcased in the Art Zone of Magok Culture Street.

The district aims to meet the cultural demands of local residents and create a cultural city of Gangseo-gu by providing diverse cultural and artistic content on Magok Culture Street.

Previously, since 2020, the district established Magok Culture Street along approximately a 1km stretch from Balsan Station to Magok Station to build local cultural infrastructure and revitalize culture and arts.

Magok Culture Street is divided into five sections: Magok Station Zone, Culture Zone, Art Zone, Ecological IT Zone, and Balsan Station Zone. Media art operations take place in Handari Culture Park within the Art Zone.

The district has set up a video zone in the park, where media facade artworks installed on the wall of Space K Museum and various media art pieces on the pavement blocks are screened every night from 7:00 PM to 9:40 PM, starting on the hour and lasting 40 minutes each time.

Under the themes ‘Media Facade, Blossoming Art’ and ‘Pavement Blocks, Immersed in a Festival of Colors,’ the district plans to showcase media art works by various artists, starting with media artist Jang Seung-hyo, who is beloved both domestically and internationally, and including metahuman artist ROA.

‘Media Facade, Blossoming Art’ features three works set to beautiful musical melodies: ‘Dancing Forest,’ expressing trees and earth’s energy heralding spring after winter, and ‘The Last Supper,’ a media rendition of a familiar masterpiece.

‘Pavement Blocks, Immersed in a Festival of Colors’ screens three works including ‘Rain,’ visually capturing the synesthetic imagery felt from each raindrop, and ‘Mendini Pattern,’ a collaboration between Italian master Alessandro Mendini and artist Jang Seung-hyo.

Visitors are encouraged to pause briefly with their loved ones or family and immerse themselves in the rapidly changing, beautiful, and captivating media art.

In addition to media art, Magok Culture Street will also feature landscape sculptures and exhibitions that lead the street’s atmosphere, as well as busking performances on the Art Zone stage.

A district official said, “We aim to revitalize the local cultural and artistic activities, which have been stagnant due to COVID-19, by introducing diverse media art and provide residents with opportunities to experience various artworks in their daily lives.”

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) has been selected for the ‘2022 Our Neighborhood Store Artterior’ project organized by Seoul City for the third consecutive year, securing a project budget of 150 million KRW.

‘Our Neighborhood Store Artterior (Art+Interior)’ is a project that connects neighborhood stores with local artists specializing in painting, exhibition design, crafts, etc., to provide customized support for improving the interior and exterior design of stores. It aims to increase sales for small business owners and revitalize the local economy while providing local artists with work experience and practical income.

Since its first application in 2020, Eunpyeong-gu is the only Seoul district to have been selected for the project three years in a row. In 2020, the project supported 40 stores centered around Bulgwangcheon Stream.

Last year, the project targeted 60 stores located in alleys connecting Eunpyeong-gu’s natural environment and traditional markets. Searching ‘Eunpyeong Artterior’ on the online portal Naver reveals before-and-after images of participating stores that have become hot spots in Eunpyeong-gu.

The district plans to establish a detailed project plan in April this year, select an executing company, and officially launch the project from June. With a total budget of 300 million KRW, including 150 million KRW secured from the contest and 150 million KRW from the district budget, the project will be expanded to connect 80 stores with 30 local artists, increasing the scale compared to last year.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “Eunpyeong has many long-established stores and talented artists. Thanks to efforts that leveraged these local characteristics and were carried out steadily, we have achieved the good result of being selected for the contest three years in a row. I hope this will be a stepping stone for small business owners struggling with the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 to overcome difficulties even a little.”

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