Art Center Incheon Phase 2 Passes Central Investment Review... Opening Set for Second Half of 2029

2.009 Billion Won Investment
Construction of Opera House and Art & Tech Center

The Art Center Incheon Phase 2 construction project, which had been left idle for years after the completion of underground structures, has received a green light.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced on October 21 that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Central Investment Review Committee had conditionally approved the Art Center Incheon Phase 2 project. The conditions include reviewing the safety of utilizing existing facilities, developing content that differentiates the center from similar facilities, and proceeding with the second-phase review after the detailed design is completed.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority had previously revised the project plan to enhance its economic feasibility after the project was rejected twice by the Central Investment Review Committee. The total floor area was reduced from 37,750 square meters to 33,175 square meters, which lowered the project cost by approximately 10.6 billion won to a total of 200.9 billion won. The number of operational staff was also reduced from 132 to 52, raising the benefit-cost (B/C) ratio from 0.16 to 0.32.

Perspective view of the Art Center Incheon Phase 2 project. Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority

Art Center Incheon first opened in 2018 under Phase 1, featuring a concert hall with 1,727 seats across two basement levels and seven above-ground floors. The Phase 2 project plans to construct two buildings-an opera house and an Art & Tech Center-each with two basement levels and eight above-ground floors. The opera house will be a multipurpose performance venue with 1,439 seats, while the Art & Tech Center will include open studios, production and creative spaces, an experimental theater with 300 seats, and educational spaces.

An official from the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority stated, "We plan to proceed with follow-up procedures, including detailed design, aiming to open in the second half of 2029." The official added, "Once Phase 2 of Art Center Incheon is completed, it is expected to serve as a core cultural facility befitting the international city of Incheon, in connection with transportation and tourism infrastructure such as the GTX-B metropolitan express railway line and the Waterfront project, which will create a waterway encircling Songdo International City in a square shape."

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