Only 4 Employees... Korean Company Sweeps the World's Top 3 Design Awards

The Boundary Between Design and Art, Gamseong Plan
Public Facility Architecture Near Cable Car
Selected as 'Excellent Design Specialized Company' This Year

Design specialist company Gamseong Plan's 'Moment Capsule'

A small company with only four employees swept the world's top three design awards. This is the story of ‘Gamseong Plan,’ a design specialist company that appeared like a comet in 2017. Each member takes on roles in planning, design, and production to create public sculptures over several months. Kim Heewon, CEO of Gamseong Plan, who studied architecture and design, said, "Our differentiation strategy lies in working at the boundary between design and art."

A representative example is the ‘Moment Capsule’ located at the Busan Songdo Marine Cable Car observatory. The Moment Capsule may look like a piece of art at first glance, but it is a public design with practical use and purpose. It was made by stacking multiple boxes that can store time capsules about 10 cm in length. Time capsules containing visitors' wishes are kept inside the boxes for two years. CEO Kim said, "There are many evaluations that the Moment Capsule has become famous like a landmark, turning the area into a tourist attraction," adding, "It can also encourage repeat visits from visitors who come to retrieve their time capsules." She continued, "The sculpture does not exist independently but is completed through communication with the audience," explaining, "Visitors can leave lasting memories through their experiences." Gamseong Plan’s slogan is ‘Designing experiences and leaving memories.’

Emotional Plan's 'Dalpaengi Garden'

The Cheongpung Lake Cable Car in Jecheon, Chungbuk, is a case where Gamseong Plan directly planned the master plan encompassing the entire content from the initial stage. They emphasized harmony between the new space and the surrounding environment. Next year, Gamseong Plan’s works will be seen near the Seohaerang Jebudo Marine Cable Car. Holding about 30 design patents, Gamseong Plan swept the world’s top three design awards with works like the Moment Capsule and Snail Garden. The world’s top three awards are the German Red Dot Design Award, the American IDEA Award, and the German iF Award.

This year, Gamseong Plan was named an excellent design specialist company selected by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, gaining various benefits. The excellent design specialist company system, operated since 2008, selects about 20 companies annually by evaluating the activities and achievements of design companies, dividing them into leading and promising company categories. Being recognized as an excellent design specialist company grants additional points when participating in various government projects such as the design specialist company globalization project. It also includes eligibility for financial support programs, providing benefits such as issuance of technology guarantees and a 0.2% point reduction in guarantee fees.

Yoon Sangheum, President of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, said, "Design, which connects technology and people to create value, is a key innovation tool necessary to secure a differentiated competitive advantage during the industrial transformation period," and added, "We will actively strive to nurture excellent design specialist companies, the core players in the design industry, so that design can lead the growth of our industry."

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