'Connecting a Severed Fortress Through Space'... Hanyang University's Gyeom Cho Wins Grand Prize at Seoul Metropolitan Architecture Award

[Financial News] Hanyang University announced on the 28th that alumnus Gyeom Cho of its Department of Architecture won the grand prize in the student ideas category at the 44th Seoul Metropolitan Architecture Award, organized by Seoul. The student category was established for the first time this year to discover the creative ideas of future architectural talent, and Cho became its first grand-prize winner.
The winning entry, 'Between Two Boundaries: Restoring and Reusing the Seoul City Wall,' is an architectural project set in the area around Seoul Gyeongsin High School in Seongbuk-dong. Cho proposed transforming the fortress walls that once closed off the city and the school's fence from barriers separating people into connected spaces where students and local residents could mingle.
The long building running along the school fence includes a library, lounges, an auditorium and a museum. The design preserves the existing school grounds and reuses in the playground steps stones that were recovered after the Seoul City Wall collapsed. It was praised for enhancing the value of the city by blending its historic heritage with the modern urban environment.
The idea began as Cho walked along the Seoul City Wall trail and considered new ways to make use of the cultural heritage site. He completed the project by drawing on his academic experience, including research into traditional timber structures and participation in overseas exchange programs during his university years.
Cho said, "As architecture is a field that cannot be completed alone, I will continue to explore architecture that connects people and cities." His winning project will be exhibited at the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture through Oct. 11.

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter