Yangcheon-gu Ecological Learning Center 'Eco Space Yeonui' Opens

'EcoSpace Yeonui' Reborn Through Expansion and Remodeling, Opening Ceremony Held at Yeonui Park on the 11th... Educational Space, Garden, Gallery, Ecological Collection Area, Greenhouse Designed in Harmony with Nature

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) is establishing the ecological learning center ‘Eco Space Yeonui’ in Yeonui Park, where all generations can come together to experience diverse ecological activities, and will hold an opening ceremony on the 11th.

‘Eco Space Yeonui,’ a two-story building with a total floor area of 700㎡, was created by horizontally expanding and remodeling the existing ‘Yeonui Ecological Learning Center’ to secure additional educational space and improve outdated facilities.

Additionally, the design focused on harmonizing the building with the park, applying the concept of ‘Biophilic Design’ inside to maximize interaction with nature through plants.

The existing building of ‘Eco Space Yeonui,’ boasting a two-story floor area of 319㎡, transformed its previously dark exterior into a bright and open space. The first floor houses restrooms and an information center promoting the district’s environmental and green policies, while the second floor consists of ecological education support offices and a rooftop garden overlooking the park.

The existing building and the new annex are connected by corridors on each floor. Notably, an elevator was installed in the new annex, overcoming the previous access limitations of stairs only, allowing everyone to visit without restrictions.

The new annex, built using a waffle-shaped exposed concrete technique, has a total floor area of 391㎡. The first floor features exhibition spaces, the second floor educational spaces, and the third floor a rooftop garden. During construction, instead of removing the five poplar trees on site, they were preserved to become part of the building’s landscape. The structure, which connects inside and outside without separation like traditional Korean hanok architecture, brings the park’s scenery indoors through large windows in each room. Standing in the open corridor, visitors can enjoy different views of the poplar trees on each floor.

The vertical lines of the waffle-shaped exposed concrete, which add elegance to the simple unadorned building, resemble the trunks of the poplar trees and birch trees beside the building, blending well with the park’s natural environment. The geometric shapes composing the building?squares, triangles, circles, and straight lines?will stimulate children’s imaginations.

The ‘Welcome and Information Area’ on the first floor of the new annex provides ecological experience information through 35 activity guide cards hanging on the wall, showing what visitors can enjoy at ‘Eco Space Yeonui.’ The ‘Collector’s Laboratory’ is a space that records the ecology of Yeonui Park, storing and sharing actual specimens, sounds, photos, and drawings of ecological elements observed and collected in the park in wall cabinets. The ‘Yeonui Gallery’ hosts special exhibitions on various themes, with the first exhibition celebrating the opening by showcasing the construction process of ‘Eco Space Yeonui.’

The educational spaces on the second floor of the new annex include the Nest Classroom, the Forest of Senses (greenhouse), and the Yeonui Monthly Garden. The desks in the ‘Nest Classroom’ can be freely arranged and transformed to accommodate various educational formats. The greenhouse under the pyramid-shaped roof, called the ‘Forest of Senses,’ is a space where ecological experiences are possible regardless of the season, allowing visitors to feel nature through senses such as the sound of water droplets and insects, and walking barefoot on cypress wood.

The solar power generation system installed in the rooftop ‘Energy Garden’ supplies electricity used to power ‘Eco Space Yeonui.’ The ‘Collector’s Garden’ features a small ecosystem incorporating elements like insects and water circulation, while the ‘Poplar Tree Observation Deck’ offers panoramic views of the sky and park.

Meanwhile, Yeonui Park, where ‘Eco Space Yeonui’ is located, sits at the foot of Jiyang Mountain and connects to the Yangcheon Dulle-gil trail (24.5km) via the Jiyang Mountain trail. The Yangcheon Dulle-gil further links to the Seoul Dulle-gil trail (157km) through the Anyangcheon section. This network serves as a strength that overcomes the physical limitations of ‘Eco Space Yeonui,’ located on the southwestern outskirts of Seoul.

‘Eco Space Yeonui’ has been in pre-operation since last September, supported by park volunteer ‘Eco Friends.’ The district aims to create a hub for ecological experiences together with residents through this initiative.

Ecological experiences at ‘Eco Space Yeonui’ extend beyond indoor spaces to Yeonui Park and the Jiyang Mountain area. Major programs include ▲plogging (jogging while picking up trash) to raise environmental awareness ▲woodworking classes ▲botanical illustration drawing ▲ecological environment play. All programs are free and open to everyone, with prior registration available through the ‘Seoul Public Service Reservation’ system. Operating hours during winter are daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Mondays and public holidays. Even without participating in programs, visitors can use the space and enjoy ecological experiences.

Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “The newly expanded and reopened ‘Eco Space Yeonui’ will serve as a focal point of an ecological city that goes beyond knowledge transfer to provide healing and encourage practice through in-depth ecological education for all ages.” He added, “I hope families visit Yeonui Park to experience the preciousness of nature together.”

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