en.Wedoany.com Reported - Seoul City announced on the 8th that it will promote an architectural design competition for the "Seoul Startup Center Gwanak," a project that will concentrate the startup functions of the "Gwanak S-Valley" connecting the Nakseongdae, Sillim, and Seoul National University areas, becoming a core hub for the startup ecosystem in the southwestern region.

Although the Gwanak S-Valley area is densely populated with major universities and research institutes such as Seoul National University, Chung-Ang University, and Soongsil University, only scattered, small-scale startup support facilities have been operated so far. Seoul City plans to establish a large-scale startup center equipped with a support system for each growth stage, and this architectural design competition is a key step in that plan.
The Sillim 3 Public Garage site (around 131-6 Sillim-dong), where the Seoul Startup Center Gwanak will be located, has been designated as a Venture Business Promotion District and set as a specialized youth venture industry zone in the "2040 Seoul City Master Plan." Seoul City completed preliminary preparations, including the abolition of urban management planning facilities (automobile parking lots), in December last year.
The architectural design for this startup center will be a complex facility comprising office space for approximately 600 people, meeting and networking spaces, dedicated research and demonstration facilities, and an auxiliary parking lot open to residents. It will serve as a hub supporting convergence startups in deep tech fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and bio.
The core points of this architectural design competition are the "efficient realization of a technology-driven startup space" and the "construction of an open space," with plans to focus on evaluating whether the design reflects facility characteristics that can flexibly respond according to the growth stages of companies.
After an on-site briefing session on the 18th of this month, registration for participation will be accepted through the Seoul City architectural design competition website "Project Seoul" until July 10th. Submissions will be accepted from July 20th to 21st, and after two rounds of review, the winning entry will be announced on August 13th.
Future Space Planning Officer Kim Yong-hak stated, "This architectural design competition for the Seoul Startup Center Gwanak will be an opportunity to transform urban functions that are maintained over the long term in line with the trends of the times and further enhance the level of public architectural design in Seoul." He added, "We look forward to the active participation and innovative proposals of designers who can perfectly embody the future value of Gwanak S-Valley at the architectural level."
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com










