- A groundbreaking ceremony for a novel concept involving architects and young artists took place on May 17

 - Minister PARK Bo Gyoon stated, “It will become a hotspot for new culture and a space for creating the most experimental art.” 

Units 4 and 5 of the decommissioned Seoul Thermal Power Plant will be transformed into the Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant, which will emit the dynamic energy of K-Culture.

On May 17 (Wed), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, MCST) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant. Breaking away from the typical framework of previous ceremonies, the event featured the architect (CEO JO Min Seok of Mass Studies), who designed the Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant, and young cultural artists as the main protagonists. For this unconventional concept, Minister PARK Bo Gyoon assisted by replying to the cultural artists’ vision of the Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant.

About 150 individuals attended this event, including Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, Mapo-gu Mayor PARK Kang Soo, Korea Midland Power CEO KIM Ho Bin, Mass Studies CEO JO Min Seok, and Kyeryong Construction Industrial Co., Ltd. CEO YOUN Gil Ho, as well as cultural artists and emerging architects.

First, CEO JO Min Seok presented the progress and design concept of the Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant. He stated, “The Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant will be a place where ecology and culture coexist, where history and the progressive future of the young can be seen and felt. It will undoubtedly become a key urban space of South Korea.”

Furthermore, cultural artists, such as ballet dancer KIM Joo Won, artist PARK Grim, LEE Yoo Jeong, CEO of Sople (a barrier-free content company), and traditional Korean musician BAEK Hyun Ho expressed their hopes and expectations that this space would become a groundbreaking platform for experimental art, providing artists of the MZ generation with opportunities for creative expression and a stage where they can unleash their passion and dedication to the fullest.

Promising to respond to the aspirations of both the architect and the young cultural artists, Minister PARK Bo Gyoon emphasized, “We should not simply call the Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant as the Korean version of Tate Modern just because it transitioned from a thermal power plant to a cultural and artistic facility. If Tate Modern is an art museum, then Danginri is a multifaceted cultural space that pursues originality, excellence, and innovation while embracing creation, performances, and exhibitions across all art genres. The Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant will be a completely new and vibrant hotspot for cultural art, serving as a space to create the most experimental modern and contemporary art.”

 Unit 4: Cultural Hub; Unit 5: Historical Education Space, opening in 2025

The Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant site has an area of 81,650 square meters and a building floor area measuring 25,532 square meters (two basement floors, six floors above ground). The former Unit 4 of the power plant, which was decommissioned in 2015, will be renovated as a space that includes two exhibition halls (1,743 square meters), a performance hall (2,273 square meters, black box format[1]), and a project room (915-square meter creative space). Furthermore, Unit 5 (12,553 square meters), decommissioned in 2019, will be preserved in its original form as a modern industrial heritage site that offers an educational space where visitors can vividly experience the history of the first thermal power plant in South Korea. Among them, the rooftops of Units 4 and 5, measuring 18 meters (5 floors) in height, will be connected to create a rooftop plaza called the “Danginri Podium.” This open space, similar to Marronnier Park in Seoul, is designed to overlook the Hangang River and will feature environmentally friendly urban agriculture using movable planters, busking performances, outdoor fashion shows, and other events. It is expected to become the most popular space, accommodating facilities focused on small business owners, such as youth-led food trucks.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, the construction of the Danginri Cultural-Creative Art Plant will be carried out in earnest, with plans to open officially in 2025.