Sejong District Court design winner 'Shaded Forest Court' to open in March 2031

' Provided by the National Agency for Administrative City Construction. [Financial News] The Sejong District Court, which will be built in Bangok-dong, Sejong City, will be designed as an open space with a C-shaped building that follows the slope of the site, a central courtyard, and a three-story integrated lobby.
Construction of the design is set to begin in the second half of this year, with the court scheduled to open in March 2031. On the 1st, the National Agency for Administrative City Construction said that 'Shaded Forest Court,' proposed by the Heerim Architects & Planners consortium, was selected as the winning entry in the Sejong District Court design competition.
Three teams took part in the competition: the Heerim Architects & Planners consortium, the Sunjin Engineering & Architecture consortium, and ANU Design Group Architects. The review was held on the 31st of last month, and the entire process was livestreamed on the agency's official YouTube channel.
The judging panel gave overall marks for the building layout adapted to the sloped site, the separation and connection of functional areas such as courtrooms and civil service offices, and the exterior design that reflects the court's symbolism. The winning design adopted the concept of an 'open court without boundaries.
' It places the building in a C-shape to take advantage of the slope of the site and creates a courtyard in the center. Inside, a three-story open integrated lobby will bring in natural light.
On the second floor of the integrated lobby, the plan includes an open reading room and an open medium-sized meeting room. The space is intended to serve as a public area that can be used not only by court visitors but also by local residents.
Outside, Sodam Yard, Cheongsol Yard, and Forest Breeze Garden will be arranged in sequence to connect the building with the surrounding area. The exterior was designed to convey the court's public role and symbolism while also giving a sense of stability.
The winning consortium will receive a certificate from the head of the National Agency for Administrative City Construction and priority negotiation rights for the basic and detailed design contract. The agency plans to begin design work in the second half of this year and move forward with the project, aiming for an opening in March 2031.
When the Sejong District Court opens, the agency expects judicial functions in the Multifunctional Administrative City to expand and access to judicial services for residents of Sejong City and nearby areas to improve. Hong Sun-min, director of the agency's Facilities Project Bureau, said, "We will do our best to ensure that the Sejong District Court opens without setbacks in March 2031 and is recognized as a new model for a future-oriented open courtroom.
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[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter