Gwangju Dong-gu Humanities School Awarded the Presidential Prize in Spatial Culture Awards

The Prime Minister's Award Goes to Seoul's 'Cloud'

'Dong-gu Humanities Hall' in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, which transformed from an old house into a humanities hub space, will receive the Grand Prize at the Korea Spatial Culture Awards.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Institute of Architects announced the winners of this year's Korea Spatial Culture Awards on the 18th. The Dong-gu Humanities Hall, which received the highest honor, is an old house built in 1954 in the city center with a unique style featuring two roofs and one house. It was purchased by Dong-gu, Gwangju, to create a public parking lot, but considering expert opinions and preservation demands, it was developed into a humanities and literary space for citizens. The judging committee stated, "It is a space where creation and exchange occur continuously," and evaluated that "by reproducing cultural content utilizing humanities resources, it enhances humanities sensitivity and provides citizens with opportunities to enjoy a happy daily life."

Seoul's 'Cloud' received the Excellence Award (Prime Minister's Award). It is an arcade that improved the aging environment of Sinheung Market in Haebangchon, Yongsan-gu. Two membranes made of ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene), which has high light transmittance and excellent durability, were created, and the space between them was filled with an air-inflated structure. The lower part of the column bundle supporting the roof was adjusted in location to accommodate residents' demands and to minimize occupation of narrow streets. The judging committee explained, "By raising the arcade roof up to the building rooftop, it solved lighting and ventilation issues," and described it as "a catalyst to transform Haebangchon from a place of livelihood to a place of cultural liberation."

The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award went to 'Bunker Daebang Youth Culture House' of Dongjak-gu Office in Seoul, 'Buan Art Workshop' of Buan County Office, 'Gangnam-gu Well-Aging Center' of Gangnam-gu Public Health Center, and 'Incheon Citizen Love House' in Incheon Metropolitan City. The judging committee stated, "We evaluated whether the value of the space was realized and whether a unique culture of the place was created, whether it was planned based on cultural creativity, and whether various stakeholders participated."

The awards ceremony will be held on the 25th at the Korea Architecture Culture Festival. Photos and videos related to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism award-winning works will be exhibited for five days at Culture Station Seoul 284.

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