Beautiful LG Art Center Performance Hall, Built in Seoul, Inspiring Envy

LG Art Center Seoul, London Symphony Orchestra & Seong-Jin Cho Collaboration Opening Concert
Various Interactive Programs Including 'Self Audio Architecture Tour' Offered

London Symphony Orchestra Artistic Director Simon Rattle. Photo by LSO

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "I am jealous that a beautiful concert hall designed by the world's best architect has been built in Seoul."

On the 12th, Simon Rattle, Artistic Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, made this remark after seeing the venue ahead of the opening performance at LG Arts Center Seoul.

Officially opening on the 13th, LG Arts Center Seoul is a newly constructed concert hall relocated from the LG Arts Center in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, which operated for 22 years, to the Magok district. The world-renowned architect Tadao Ando was responsible for the design. It is a multi-purpose venue with a seating capacity of 1,300 called the ‘LG SIGNATURE Hall’ and a flexible black box theater called ‘U+ Stage,’ along with rehearsal rooms, arts education facilities, and various F&B options. Located at the entrance of Seoul Botanic Park, the center offers visitors the chance to enjoy a rich natural environment in the heart of the Magok district.

The opening performance on the 13th features ‘Simon Rattle & London Symphony Orchestra (piano: Cho Seong-jin).’ To firmly uphold the operating principle of being a ‘venue without invitation tickets,’ LG Arts Center Seoul decided to sell all seats for the opening performance to the public instead of holding the originally planned opening event, and to donate all proceeds to support emerging artists in the performing arts sector. Tickets for the opening performance, which went on sale on September 1, sold out within 40 seconds, attracting significant attention.

Simon Rattle said, “In Europe, it is becoming increasingly difficult to build new concert halls, so I am jealous that such a beautiful concert hall designed by the world’s best architect has been built in Seoul,” adding, “The birth of this venue is a blessing both for us who are involved and for the audience in Seoul.”

Cho Seong-jin, the soloist and a representative pianist of Korea, also said, “I have fond memories of meeting audiences at the Yeoksam LG Arts Center in 2011,” and added, “I congratulate the new start at this new place and will deliver a great performance.”

LG Art Center Seoul, located at the entrance of Seoul Botanic Park in Gangseo-gu, is a large-scale multipurpose performance venue with three basement levels and four above-ground floors, featuring the 'LG Signature Hall' as its main performance hall. The photo shows the exterior of LG Art Center Seoul. Photo by LG Art Center Seoul

In addition to the opening performance, various special programs will be offered for visitors to enjoy at the concert hall.

The ‘Self-Guided Architectural Audio Tour,’ which allows a deeper understanding of the architectural elements of LG Arts Center Seoul, is narrated by actor Park Hae-soo, who appeared in ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Suriname.’ A documentary featuring architectural sketches, models, and the construction process will also be presented.

Additionally, three artworks including ‘Meadow,’ ‘Fog Cannon,’ and ‘ARK 23.5’ are installed inside and outside the building to captivate visitors’ eyes, and upon entering the building, visitors can also experience various scents developed in collaboration with LG Household & Health Care’s Senbery Perfume House.

LG Arts Center Seoul will also hold an ‘Opening Festival’ consisting of 15 performances until December 18.

Center Director Lee Hyunjung said, “LG Arts Center Seoul is a new cultural and artistic landmark where performing arts and diverse cultures coexist,” and added, “We will nurture it into a world-class concert hall admired by artists worldwide.”

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