SPACE May 2026 (No. 702)
Winning proposal of Gangneung Agricultural Technology Center Design Competition ©SPACE GROUP + PUMEUN ARCHITECTS
On Mar. 13, Gangneung-si announced the design proposal by SPACE GROUP (Principal, Lee Sangleem) + PUMEUN ARCHITECTS (Seung Chul Lee) as the winning entry in the Gangneung Agricultural Technology Center design competition. The design scope includes a main building of 8,415.48m² and seven supplementary facilities on a 25,273 m² site. In this competition, the team focused their attention on reestablishing the relationship between the existing buildings and the surrounding agricultural landscape, while repositioning the complex as a new regional anchor. To reestablish a harmonious relationship, they adopt the grid pattern of the adjacent farmland as the primary system and position the buildings within it. Furthermore, their proposal not only physically improves the deteriorated environment but also functions as an integrated platform for agricultural support and knowledge-sharing programmes. To be more specific, this project strategically developed across three different phases. First, a generous open plaza is introduced to connect the local community to the agricultural fields. Second, a looped pedestrian circulation penetrates the complex, enhancing operational efficiency and separating two different streams of movement: visitors and researchers. Finally, in response to the rapid expansion of this industry, a module construction system is implemented. According to the winning team, their ‘phased development’ strategy, aligned with the project intention, thinking the future possibility of the site, was well received by the jurors. In addition, a series of detailed design tactics including clear zoning separations for efficient operation, feasible building massing organised into eight distinct volumes, and the use of integrated building material (red brick as exterior material), reinforces the visual coherence of the complex and its pragmatic sensibility.
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