Vacant Houses Become Libraries and Cafes... Seoul Announces Winners of Vacant House Utilization Design Competition

Abandoned vacant houses are being transformed into community libraries, artist residencies, and neighborhood cafes, providing convenient facilities for local residents.

'Beacon Library,' the grand prize winner of the vacant house utilization architectural design competition held last month by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Housing Corporation. Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government

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The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 10th that it had selected five winning entries in the 'Vacant House Utilization Architectural Design Competition' held with Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) from October 20 to 22.

A total of 44 works were submitted by 17 teams of emerging architects and 27 teams of university students. The entries were evaluated based on usability, creativity, and completeness. After a second round of judging, designs that could be practically implemented for vacant house utilization were selected.

The grand prize went to 'Beacon Library' in Mia-dong, which designed a community library as a space that gathers people at the heart of the neighborhood and shines like a beacon. The first prize was awarded to 'Mia-dong Stump Library,' and three works received excellence awards: 'A Small Roof in the City of Doksan-dong,' 'Ogin-dong Residency,' and 'Ogin-dong Courtyard Within Walls.'

Poster for the Empty House Utilization Contest Award Ceremony and Exhibition. Provided by Seoul City

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The award ceremony will be held on the 14th in the SH main conference room. The grand prize team will receive 5 million won, and a total of 11 million won in prize money will be distributed among the five winning teams. An exhibition will be held in the SH basement level 1 space from the 17th to the 21st, where citizens can freely view the winning works for five days.

The city plans to incorporate feasible designs among the winning entries into the 2026 Seoul Metropolitan Government and SH vacant house utilization project, and will work in cooperation with district offices to ensure these ideas lead to actual vacant house renovation projects.

Choi Jinseok, Director of Housing at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "We hope that the fresh ideas from university students and architects will spread new possibilities and architectural value for vacant house utilization," adding, "We will continue to promote various projects, including competitions, and reflect them in policy so that vacant houses can be reborn and revitalize local communities."

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