Cheongju New City Hall
Following an international architecture competition, Snøhetta together with local partner Tomoon Architects and Engineers have won the bid to design the new city hall in Cheongju, South Korea.
Through its open and inclusive design, the Cheongju New City Hall will integrate seamlessly with the urban context and promote ownership for the citizens and visitors of Cheongju. While providing a platform for effective governmental administration, the Cheongju New City Hall will serve as a symbol of integration and accommodate for collaboration and social interaction.
The Cheongju New City Hall is due for completion in 2025.
The new building forms an open frame around the former city hall building, which will now serve as the entrance portal to the new development. Through strategic spatial planning, ample public spaces and amenities are designed to be accessible for all, with flexibility to allow for the vibrant city to gather for daily activities and during special occasions.
A City Hall for the People
The vision for the Cheongju New City Hall is to create a landmark representing integrated governance, with minimal distance between the government and its citizens. As a response to this, the administrative spaces are consolidated under one roof to ensure smooth operation and open communication between departments.
Following the belief that good governance begins with good working environments, the New City Hall provides grade A working facilities promoting collaboration, innovation, efficiency, and physical and mental wellbeing.
The design of the Cheongju New City Hall seeks to unite the currently scattered governmental offices into one holistic space, paying tribute to the heritage of the past while creating a modern, open space for the future.
By creating space for collective living and learning, the public has access to cultural spaces, such as exhibition areas, a library, an auditorium, and amenities such as restaurants, cafes, childcare facilities and a post office.
The building’s roof and façade are formed by gently folded curves, refencing the shape of traditional Korean roofs. A combination of translucent and opaque panels gives the structure scale and rhythm.
