Songpa-gu 'Garak Market Water Purification Tower' Reborn as Public Art... Gwanak-gu Starlit Naerimcheon Children's Sledding Site Opens

[Seoul District News] Songpa-gu Garak Market Water Purification Tower Selected as Site for 'Seoul Museum' Creating a Meaningful and Impressive Urban Art Spot & Expecting Drastic Changes Linked to Songpa-daero Luxury Street Development, the Gateway to Southeast Seoul... Gwanak-gu Opens 'Byeolbitnaeruncheon Children's Sledding Park' on the 24th for Kids to Enjoy Winter Fun Without Spending Money During Winter Break

Garak Market Water Purification Tower (right)

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok)'s 'Garak Market Water Purification Tower' has been finally selected as the public art site for the 2023 'Seoul is a Museum' public art contest.

The 'Seoul is a Museum' project is a public art initiative promoted by Seoul City since 2016 with the aim that 'the entire city of Seoul becomes a museum.'

By discovering and transforming selected locations through the contest, it preserves the history and memories of disappearing places and allows people to naturally enjoy art integrated into daily life. Representative examples of the 'Seoul is a Museum' project include ▲Noksapyeong Station Underground Art Garden ▲Nodeul Island Moonlight Nodeul ▲Yongma Waterfall Park Oval Headquarters ▲Under Eugene Shopping Center Hongje Yuyeon ▲Seoul Station Parking Ramp Docking Seoul.

Songpa-gu's 'Garak Market Water Purification Tower' was built in 1986 for underground water storage but ceased functioning for about 20 years after 2004 due to changes in water purification supply methods. While the facility's exterior deteriorated over long-term neglect, harming the urban landscape, the contest for 'Seoul Museum' sites to create meaningful and inspiring urban art spots was a special opportunity for the district.

With this selection, the 'Garak Market Water Purification Tower' became the first 'Seoul is a Museum' project site in the southeastern living area of Seoul. Over the course of 2023, 1.4 billion KRW of city funds will be invested to rebirth it as a public art piece, and from 2024, various programs for space activation will be continuously operated.

In particular, the location of the 'Garak Market Water Purification Tower' lies within the third zone of the 'Songpa-daero Luxury Street Creation Project,' marking the meaningful start of detailed projects within the development section. Currently, the district is proceeding with a basic planning service contract to actively promote the 'Songpa-daero Luxury Street Creation Project,' one of the core projects of the 8th mayoral term.

Additionally, in cooperation with the Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation, the project to reconstruct the Garak Intersection roadside green space is underway, hoping that the area around the Garak Market Water Purification Tower will be reborn as a meaningful space offering emotional rest through artworks and communication with the outside world.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, "I am very excited to see how the Garak Market Water Purification Tower, selected as a public art site, will transform," and added, "Starting with this contest project, we will do our best to transform Songpa-daero, the face of Songpa, into a luxury street that reflects the characteristics of each section."

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) will open the 'Starlight Naerincheon Children's Sledding Hill' on the 24th, providing children with a fun and free way to enjoy winter despite the cold weather during the winter vacation.

The 'Starlight Naerincheon Children's Sledding Hill' is located between Sinlim Bridge and Seungri Bridge in Sinwon-dong, Gwanak-gu, about a 10-minute walk from Sinlim Station on Subway Line 2. It is 14 meters wide and 50 meters long and will operate until February 26 next year.

It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including weekends and holidays, free of charge, and sleds and sticks are also available for free rental.

For visitors' convenience, a rest area equipped with hot and cold water dispensers and heaters, as well as portable toilets, have been installed. Emergency first aid supplies such as trauma ointment and disinfectants are also prepared.

Especially, during operating hours, safety personnel are on duty at all times to prevent accidents and manage ice quality. However, since the sledding hill operates using natural freezing without artificial devices, operating hours may be adjusted depending on weather and ice conditions. It is convenient to check the opening status on the day by contacting the Gwanak-gu Facilities Management Corporation before visiting.

A district official said, "We regretted not being able to operate the sledding hill due to COVID-19, but we hope many residents looking for a play space to enjoy winter vacation with their children will visit the Starlight Naerincheon Children's Sledding Hill," and added, "We will do our best to ensure all visitors can use the facility safely and enjoyably."

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