Sejong Art Center (2nd Prize) design by Tomoon Architects & Engineers + Ison Architects

Architects: Tomoon Architects & Engineers, in collaboration with Ison Architects
Location: Nasung-dong, Sejong, South Korea
Project Architects: Cha Yong-wook, Son Jin 
Project Manager: Choi Jae-won
Project Team: Shin Eun-ho, Choi Jong-bae, Peter Oh, Lee Joon-ho, Lee Doo-hyeong, Lee Woo-joo, Choi Min-wook
Acoustics: OSD Engineering & Consulting
Stage: TSD STAGE
Structural Engineers: Hyung-sang Engineering
Mechanical Engineers: Sahm-shin Engineers
Electricity / Telecommunication: Young-Kwang Enginneering
CG: 3D Focus
Architectural Model: OPUS
Site Area: 43,493㎡
Building Area: 11,009㎡
Gross Area: 15,205㎡
Structure: Reinforced Concrete + Steel Structure
Materials: White Tile, Metal Fabric, Wood, Stone
Total Stories: 4 Floors
Parking: 354Project Period: December 2012 – March 2013

The center is composed of an opera house with 800 seats, a flexible black box theater with 300 seats, a cinema theater with 400 seats, an art gallery, a cultural center, a VIP lounge, a cafe and a restaurant. In addition there are other necessary spaces such as rehearsal rooms and administration offices, as well as parking.

All of the major public spaces are accessed by a single common lobby which acts as an elevated platform and frame, providing views on one side to the city, and on the other, to the central park and the landscape beyond. The walls of the common lobby are glazed from floor to ceiling and sheathed in a metal mesh, so all of the pre-concert and concert activities can be seen from inside and outside, creating a visually rich dynamic environment for both audience and passersby. Also, because the art gallery, cultural center, café and restaurant are in close proximity, this ensures that the common lobby and all foyer areas will be used all throughout the day and into the evening.

The compact building mass means that a variety of open and green spaces can be designed around the building. The northwest facing main entry plaza contains water features to attract people coming from the city. In addition the main entry stairs form a grand backdrop leading to the magnificent view of the opera house, the black box theater, and the cinema behind the glazed common lobby wall. The east facing rear plaza is more informal and park-like and is designed so that it can accommodate a wide variety of outdoor performances in addition to providing wide scenic views of the park and surrounding landscape. The north entry plaza is conceived as a vibrant café / cultural plaza.

The opera house is in the shape of the classic horseshoe which provides excellent acoustics and good sightlines from all areas of the hall. The black box theater has been designed for good acoustics and for maximum flexibility in stage and seating configurations to accommodate a variety of performance settings and events.

The Sejong Art Center is a culture center for the 21st century, bringing a state-of-the-art cultural facility to Sejong City that is a new symbol for the new city. It is a place to enjoy and contemplate culture, the city and nature, and provides a wonderful place for relaxation and enjoyment for all people and citizens.