Jeonil Building, located in Geumnamno 1-ga, the center of Gwangju, has existed as the symbolic building of the Geumnamno Road for about five decades, particularly as the historic space of May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement. Over the years, however, its functions and symbolism have been degraded and left unattended along with the population decrease in the urban center due to the relocation of Jeollanam-do Provincial Government Office to the outside of the city. The recent opening of Asia Culture Center brought about a momentum of revitalizing the old downtown, forming a social consensus amongst the Gwangju citizens that the Jeonil Building should be utilized as an urban culture complex in connection with ACC. In accordance with this atmosphere, we proposed a remodeling design project with the concept of “coexistence between the old and the new.”
Utilizing the sense of place adjacent to ACC, a national power station of culture, and forming a culturally creative community that grafts on to, develops and supports the content of arts and culture created in ACC, this remodeling project intends to give a new function of growth to Jeonil Building and resuscitate its symbolism.
