SPACE April 2024 (No. 677)
Winning proposal of Design Proposal Competition for the Namhae-gun Regional Specialised Accommodation Facility Utilizing Closed School ©1990 urban architecture office
On Feb. 14, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do announced 1990 urban architecture office (co-principals, Yoon Geunju, Hwang Junghwan) as the winner of the Design Proposal Competition for the Namhae-gun Regional Specialised Accommodation Facility Utilizing Closed School which aims to transform a derelict school building. The winning proposal was praised for its well-devised use of the landscape, connecting the sea to the mountains through fields and terrain, and for its differentiated proposal with various visual pleasures introduced to the outdoor space known as the camping zone. The chairman of the jury, Jung Woongsik (principal, On architects), believed that the proposal demonstrated an impressive use of Namhae’s local attributes, presenting experiments in function, layout and operations, and that the rich context of architecture and planning was in good balance. This competition was held as Namhae-gun recognised the growing need for diverse and marketable accommodation due to the recent increase in tourist numbers, and so aims to create specialised accommodation that become new features of the region itself while also addressing the issue of regional decline to promote local revitalisation. The site is Seomyeon Middle School, a closed school located at Nogu-ri, Seo-myeon, Namhae-gun, with an area of 13,218m2. Seomyeon Middle School, purchased by Namhae-gun after its closure in 1999, has been planned to be redeveloped as a space linked to village income. Namhae-gun plans to transform this site into a camping facility that reflects the local characteristics and to use it as a new tourism hub for vacationers. Furthermore, it is expected to play a supportive role in the Namhae coastal tourism business, in conjunction with the completion of the Hallyeo Undersea Tunnel in Yeosu-Namhae by 2029.
