'POSCO Venture Discovery' Changeup Ground Pohang, Korean Institute of Architects Award

A view of 'Changeup Ground Pohang,' which opened in July last year. Photo by POSCO

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] 'Changeup Ground Pohang,' a startup space for discovering and nurturing venture companies by POSCO, won the Excellence Award (Social Public Sector) at the 2022 Korea Architecture Culture Awards and the Korean Institute of Architects Award.

The Korea Architecture Culture Awards, established in 1992, is the most prestigious event in the field of architecture, hosted and organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Every year, outstanding works are selected in three categories: social public, private, and residential, with the winners announced on the 12th of this month.

This year, a total of 17 buildings were selected as winners in the architecture category of the Korea Architecture Culture Awards, among which Changeup Ground Pohang received the Excellence Award in the social public sector.

Prior to this, Changeup Ground Pohang was also selected as a winner of the Korean Institute of Architects Award announced on September 28. Established in 1979, the Korean Institute of Architects Award is given annually by the Korean Institute of Architects to contribute to the cultural development of architecture in general.

Changeup Ground Pohang, opened by POSCO in July last year to revitalize the venture ecosystem and foster new growth businesses, redefined the concept of venture incubating through its unique design and user-oriented space planning, embodying it within the space.

With the intention of realizing imagination about the future, it was designed with a unique exterior resembling a floating spaceship by applying the concept of 'floating.' Inside the building, spaces such as an atrium vertically open from the lobby floor to the top floor without obstruction and box-shaped floating cube meeting rooms seemingly suspended in the air were created.

Moreover, while existing venture incubating centers merely provided office space and administrative support, Changeup Ground Pohang created not only work support spaces such as prototype production areas, laboratories, and event halls but also community spaces like play lounges, media galleries, and communication areas for resident companies, inducing synergy through mutual interaction.

Currently, a total of 96 companies reside in Changeup Ground Pohang, with a corporate value reaching approximately KRW 1.8272 trillion. Changeup Ground Pohang is a significant achievement of POSCO's corporate citizenship management philosophy, contributing to job creation and regional economic revitalization by supporting the discovery and growth of venture companies. It has established itself as the nation's top startup incubating center by creating an environment where venture companies can grow, and plans to continue full support to strengthen the competitiveness of many venture companies in the future.

Meanwhile, the 2022 Korea Architecture Culture Awards ceremony will be held on the 26th at the Nodeulseom Multipurpose Hall, and the Korean Institute of Architects Award ceremony and exhibition will take place from the 8th to the 13th of next month at the Daegu Culture and Arts Center.

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