Watch 'Sejong Center for the Performing Arts' Performances at Gwanghwamun Square... Fully Renovated for 50th Anniversary

Oh Se-hoon Reveals Plans to Renovate Sejong Center at Philharmonie de Paris, France's Premier Cultural Arts Venue
Plans to Establish Large Exterior Video System at Plaza Linked to Gwanghwamun Square for Live Performances... Targeting 2028 Opening

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is completely renovating the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, linking it with Gwanghwamun Square to transform it into Seoul’s representative ‘next-generation emotional cultural platform.’

On the 23rd (local time), Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced this during his visit to the Philharmonie de Paris, a cultural and artistic facility representing Paris, France. The main points of the planned renovation of the Sejong Center include ▲ innovative redesign that maintains its symbolic status as a historic artistic space ▲ establishment of a dedicated classical concert hall for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to complete the function of a central performance venue in Seoul ▲ maximizing connectivity with Gwanghwamun Square and dramatically improving citizen accessibility. The project, aiming for completion in 2028, marks the first major renovation in 44 years since its opening in 1978.

Through this renovation, Seoul plans to rebirth the Sejong Center as a ‘complete performing arts complex’ equipped with a dedicated classical hall for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and capable of hosting performances across all genres.

First, the existing Grand Theater, which holds symbolic significance as a representative artistic space of South Korea, will retain its exterior design, while the interior will be fully remodeled to install advanced systems capable of hosting musicals, operas, and other performances. The seating capacity will be reduced from the current 3,022 seats, and the distance between the seats and the stage will be shortened.

Spaces other than the Grand Theater will be completely rebuilt to create a new dedicated ‘Classical Concert Hall’ for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. This will be the first classical performance venue in northern Seoul, optimized for live acoustics and designed as a ‘music-only hall’ capable of hosting full orchestra performances.

Outside the newly established ‘Classical Concert Hall,’ a large-scale exterior video (media facade) system will be installed, allowing anyone in Gwanghwamun Square to watch live performances in real time. Additionally, a large open space (Open Cube) directly connected to Gwanghwamun Square will be created between the Grand Theater and the Classical Concert Hall, serving as a venue for standing concerts, seminars, installation art, and various forms of future art.

Accordingly, in May, Seoul initiated a research project to establish the basic plan for the ‘Sejong Center Rebuilding Project.’ The city will develop the basic plan through public discussions and opinion gathering, followed by detailed planning to fully launch the project.

Mayor Oh thoroughly toured the Philharmonie de Paris on this day, actively seeking ideas that could be applied to the Sejong Center renovation. The Philharmonie de Paris is a cultural and artistic facility representing Paris. Designed by world-renowned architect Jean Nouvel, who won the Pritzker Prize, the building features a striking spaceship-shaped exterior standing 52 meters tall, attracting global attention. The interior is also equipped with world-class facilities. The seating is arranged in a vineyard style, surrounding the stage to enhance immersion, and the farthest seat is only 32 meters from the stage, allowing close interaction between performers and the audience.

Meanwhile, Mayor Oh also visited another cultural facility representing Paris, the Seine River’s ?le Seguin complex cultural space, which is recognized as a new landmark of Paris. The ?le Seguin complex was formerly a car factory site that symbolized French industrialization for over 60 years but was transformed into a representative mixed cultural space of Paris, combining performance halls, exhibition spaces, and shopping areas after the factory buildings were demolished.

Opened in April 2017 beneath ?le Seguin, the ‘Seine Musical’ features an auditorium with 1,150 seats for classical concerts, a large performance hall with 4,000 to 6,000 seats, and a rooftop garden. Hosting over 400 performances annually, ranging from classical to pop music, it serves as a new cultural vitality hub for Paris.

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