Gangbuk-gu New Office Building Ranks First at 'Seoul City Design Awards'

Received the Most Votes in the Public Architecture Category with 1,781 Votes

On May 14, Gangbuk-gu in Seoul (District Mayor: Lee Soonhee) announced that its new office building had been selected as an excellent design in the public architecture category at the '2025 Seoul City Architecture Committee Design Awards.'

Bird's-eye view of the new Gangbuk-gu office building. Provided by Gangbuk-gu.

The new Gangbuk-gu Office building received 1,781 votes (26.54%), ranking first in its category. In the general architecture category, the 'Jamsil Sports·MICE Complex Private Investment Project' took first place, while in the collective housing category, the 'Yeouido Gongjak Apartment Reconstruction and Maintenance Project' ranked first.

This year’s awards selected 30 outstanding cases out of 111 agenda items submitted to Seoul’s architecture-related committees last year, and citizens then voted to choose the best designs in each category. The voting took place via the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s e-voting system from March 9 to April 8. The selected projects will be featured in Seoul’s collection of outstanding architectural case studies and other publications.

The new Gangbuk-gu Office building will be located at 192-59 Suyu-dong and will have six underground and 17 aboveground floors, with a total floor area of approximately 68,530 square meters. It is a multifunctional complex that will bring together key administrative functions, including the district office, community center, public health center, and district council. Major facilities will include an observatory, a performance hall, and a book lounge.

The first floor, designed with the entire building raised, will serve as an open space for residents, functioning both as a park and a plaza. The underground parking lot will offer more than 400 parking spaces, which is expected to help alleviate the parking shortage around Suyu Station.

Currently, about 90% of the demolition work for the six buildings, including the existing office, has been completed. The district plans to select a contractor for the main construction within the year. Previously, the district collected opinions through a design preference survey and community briefings and held a groundbreaking ceremony in March.

Lee Soonhee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, stated, "The fact that the new Gangbuk-gu Office building received the most votes in the public architecture category at this design award and was recognized as an excellent design is a meaningful result created by the interest and expectations of our residents. We will continue to ensure that the outstanding design of the new office building is realized as a safe and high-quality structure by pushing the project forward without delay."

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