Gwangju City Gains Momentum for 'Yeongsangang Exciting Zone' Project

Court Rules "No Flaws in Design Competition Process"... Injunction Dismissed
Design Contract to Proceed in Earnest... Creation of Citizen Rest and Experience Space

'Yeongsangang Exciting Zone' bird's-eye view. Provided by Gwangju City

On May 26, Gwangju City announced that the Gwangju District Court had dismissed an injunction request to prohibit the execution of the winning entry in the international design competition for the 'Asia Water History Theme Experience Center and Nature-style Water Play Facility (Yeongsangang Exciting Zone)' project.

This injunction was filed by the runner-up company, which was dissatisfied with the results of the design competition review held on February 20. The court determined that there were no procedural flaws or grounds for invalidation in the selection process of the winning entry.

The 21st Civil Division of the Gwangju District Court stated, "It is difficult to see any defects in the decision to select the winning entry in the design competition, and there are no special circumstances that would require invalidating the result."

The city explained that the design competition was conducted independently, based on the expertise and experience of the judging panel, and comprehensively considered various factors such as design excellence, creativity, and the appropriateness of the plan.

The injunction application, which was filed in protest of the review results, led to delays in the project and wasted administrative resources. The city especially expressed "deep regret" over the fact that the company filed the lawsuit based on certain media reports.

The 'Yeongsangang Exciting Zone' project aims to reinterpret Gwangju's historical and cultural value in a modern way, and will be developed as a year-round multi-experience space featuring: the Asia Water History Theme Experience Center with three floors above ground and a total floor area of 4,000 square meters; a 1,000-square-meter indoor artificial surfing facility; a 10,000-square-meter nature-style water play area; and an 11,800-square-meter grass field.

Yang Boguen, Director General for New Vitality, stated, "In accordance with the court's decision, we will proceed in earnest with the 'Yeongsangang Exciting Zone' project, including signing a design contract with the winning company."

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