Construction of 'Seoul Eoullim Sports Center' near Nowon Suraksan Station begins... Opening in 2025

Oh Se-hoon Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony... Designs Barrier-Free Spaces to Ensure Accessibility for Disabled
Swimming Pool with Rehabilitation Therapy Pool and Wheelchair Ramp, International Standard Bowling Alley, Multipurpose Gymnasium Established
Expectations for Expanded Sports Participation and Community Integration in Northeast Area

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The ‘Seoul Eoullim Sports Center,’ a coexistence sports facility where people with disabilities, non-disabled individuals, local residents, and professional athletes can enjoy various sports such as swimming, bowling, and basketball together without barriers, will be established near Suraksan Station in Nowon-gu in 2025.

On the 30th, Seoul City announced that it held a groundbreaking ceremony for the ‘Seoul Eoullim Sports Center’ at the construction site near Suraksan Station, attended by Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and officially began construction work. The ceremony was attended by Mayor Oh, Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok, local district lawmakers, and city council members.

Residents of the northeastern area of Seoul, where sports facilities considerate of vulnerable groups have been lacking compared to other regions, will have expanded opportunities to easily access everyday sports activities, contributing to community integration.

The Seoul Eoullim Sports Center is an integrated sports facility designed so that vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, children, and the elderly can conveniently access and use all spaces, which are designed as barrier-free areas. The city has already obtained the highest grade ‘Excellent Grade Preliminary Certification’ for Barrier-Free (BF) certification during the design phase. It will be built on the Suraksan Station public parking lot site (site area 5,100㎡) with a total floor area of 14,779㎡ (2 basement floors to 3 above-ground floors). The facility will include a swimming pool (1st floor), bowling alley (basement 1st floor), multipurpose gym (3rd floor), a multipurpose space exclusively for people with disabilities (2nd floor), and a rehabilitation treatment room (2nd floor).

The swimming pool will have ramps installed to allow safe entry even for wheelchair users, and dedicated pools will be provided for rehabilitation of people with disabilities and for infants. The bowling alley will be equipped with 32 lanes capable of hosting international competitions, accessible to local residents, people with disabilities, and professional athletes alike, with guide rails installed on the lanes to accommodate disabled bowling games.

All entrances will have no thresholds, and ramps will be installed more gently than the standard requirements. Elevators will be larger and wider than usual to accommodate multiple wheelchair users simultaneously. Additionally, a plaza will be created in front of the main entrance of the building, and each floor will feature terraced rooftop gardens to provide relaxation and leisure spaces for local residents.

Mayor Oh said, "The Seoul Eoullim Sports Center is significant as a facility where people with disabilities, non-disabled individuals, local residents, and professional athletes can use it together without barriers," adding, "We will carefully construct it to ensure no inconvenience for vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, children, and the elderly, and create a space where everyone can truly come together as the name implies."

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