DONGJAK ART SPACE | Christ & Gantenbein

Dongjak District (Mayor Ilha Park) is set to transform the Heukseok 11 District from a conventional residential area into a new global cultural landmark. On April 1, the district held its second design briefing at the Dongjak-gu Office Grand Auditorium for local residents, where it finalized the design for the “Dongjak Art Space” (provisional title) a premium exhibition and event location intended to bridge the gap between art and everyday life.

The project originates from an initiative led by Dongjak District, conceived as part of a broader effort to enrich the cultural environment of the neighborhood. In a district defined largely by its residential character, the ambition is to introduce a new kind of civic landmark that would support a wide range of cultural activities while remaining closely attuned to its immediate surroundings.

Laurence Geoffrey’s, Ltd, a Seoul-based art consultancy, was subsequently commissioned to undertake a feasibility study to examine the potential for such a space and its integration within the site. Through this process, Christ & Gantenbein were invited to develop the architectural proposal. At the recent briefing, co-founder Emanuel Christ presented the design, emphasizing the project’s significance as a balanced intervention of visibility and restraint, openness and inward focus. Conceived as both a visible landmark within the city and a protected, inwardly oriented environment, the project brings these dual conditions together through a carefully considered architectural language.

Seen from a distance, the project emerges among the trees as a vertical figure rising above the landscape. Its reflective surface catches the light, asserting its presence without immediately disclosing its function. As one approaches and turns onto the street leading to the site, the entrance reveals itself on the right: a large hall embedded in the hillside. The Dongjak Art Space is, in fact, composed of two complementary realms—a subterranean hall below and a garden above. Within the garden, amid grasses at human height, stands the roof itself: a 30-metre-high pavilion, at once monumental and intimate. Almost archaic in its presence, it reads as a shelter—an architectural gesture both timeless and grounded.

THE HALL AND THE GARDEN

Visitors enter through a large gate into the underground hall—a generous, highly flexible space capable of accommodating exhibitions, performances, screenings, events, and social gatherings. Its spatial openness, combined with its inward orientation, fosters a strong sense of focus and immersion. At this level, parking, storage, and back-of-house functions are pragmatically integrated, while technical areas are located on the level below. Office spaces occupy a mezzanine between the exhibition hall and the garden above, illuminated by a skylight. At the rear of the hall, two staircases provide a direct connection between the exhibition and the garden levels.

The garden gradually comes into view as one ascends. The presence of the city recedes, replaced by an environment that feels quieter and more contained, removed from the scale and rhythm of the surrounding streets. Within 

the garden sits a pavilion that draws on Korean architectural traditions, particularly the open courtyards of the Hanok, where space is organized inward and encourages pause and reflection. The restrained geometry of traditional roof shapes informs the pavilion’s silhouette, while a deliberate modesty of materials establishes a balance between built form and landscape.

The pavilion is an intermediate space, sheltered yet open to the sky. Its distinct character lies in its dual spatial condition: at once open and enclosed, interior and exterior. This ambiguity allows for a wide range of uses, accommodating conversations, concerts, meetings, dining, and performances, as well as moments of stillness. It also enables a direct relationship with the elements, where rain, sunlight, snow, and wind become part of the experience. In the context of the city, the pavilion offers a setting that sharpens attention and encourages a slower pace of engagement.

Ultimately, the project employs simple means and low-tech construction, with concrete below and timber above, to create a place that feels at once familiar and unexpected. It responds carefully to its context while subtly reframing it. The result is a new civic space in Seoul, a place of retreat and encounter that is open, generous, and intended to be experienced and interpreted over time.

PROJECT TIMELINE AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

The Heukseok 11 District (304 Heukseok-dong area) is currently undergoing active urban redevelopment. Construction of the Dongjak Art Space is scheduled to break ground in the first half of 2027, with a target completion date in 2028.

“The development of the Heukseok 11 District is a symbolic project that goes beyond simply building housing; it is about elevating the entire character of the region,” said Dongjak District Mayor Ilha Park. “By creating a premium cultural space that gains value over time, we will establish a turning point for Dongjak to leap forward as a global cultural hub.”