Sejong Center Rooftop to Become an "Open Theater"... "Panoramic View of Gwanghwamun"

Announcement of Winning Design for Rooftop Garden Project
"Roof of the City" Unveils Panoramic Views of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun Square
A Public Rooftop Garden in the Heart of the City for Relaxation and Culture

The rooftop of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will be transformed into an "open theater." For the first time in 47 years since its opening, the previously inaccessible space will become an observatory offering panoramic views of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Sejong-daero.

On December 12, Seoul City announced that the team of Kim Eehong Architects + Studio Terra had been selected as the final winner of the rooftop garden project design competition for opening the Grand Theater rooftop at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts to the public. Their proposal is titled "Roof of the City, Open Theater."

Since its opening in 1978, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts has established itself as a symbolic venue in Seoul, hosting performances, exhibitions, and a variety of cultural and artistic events. While it attracts many visitors, the rooftop has remained closed and inaccessible. The rooftop offers exceptional views overlooking Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Sejong-daero. The city now plans to open this space to citizens both day and night.

The winning design interprets the entire plaza and Sejong-daero as a single stage-an "open theater"-and proposes a space where visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Sejong-daero. The released images of the rooftop garden evoke the feeling of an auditorium. The judging panel commented, "The design delicately integrates the urban context, even in the circulation from the elevator to the rooftop," and praised it as "a project where architecture and landscape blend seamlessly to create a new urban scenery."

Kim Eehong, the co-representative architect of the winning team, received the "Young Architect Award" in 2018, which recognizes the next generation of leaders in Korean architecture. He has consistently presented innovative works that offer new perspectives on everyday life and the city.

A total of 18 teams participated in this design competition. The city selected the winning project after a technical and spatial review by a panel of experts in architecture, landscape, and structural engineering, choosing a design that demonstrated both creativity and feasibility.

The rooftop garden project has a total budget of 2.5 billion won, with the goal of completion and opening to the public in the second half of next year. As the rooftop has never been open since the Sejong Center's inauguration, the city anticipates the creation of a new and unique space.

Lim Changsoo, Director of Future Space Planning for Seoul City, stated, "Through a professional and fair design competition, we were able to select an excellent proposal," and added, "We will create a safe and high-quality urban leisure destination where all citizens can visit anytime, stay for a long time, and enjoy the scenery."