대방청소년문화의집

_hyogeun_

"Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary" - Daebang Youth Culture House
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At around 06:40 on May 31, sirens that pierced through the closed windows woke up the residents of Seoul. Opening the window, a second broadcast is heard, ordering the evacuation of children and the elderly first. After the broadcast ends, the opening and closing of neighbors' doors. The anxiety is maximized. On the streets hastily exited, there were people talking on the phone with acquaintances as if nothing was wrong, people heading to the shelter with a bundle of belongings as if they were anticipating what was to happen, and people like me looking around trying to grasp the situation. Although actions differed, the expressions were the same with anxiety.

Fortunately, the early morning warning alarm was a false alarm, but it reminded us of the insecurity of an armistice country that we had forgotten. At the same time, it made us pay attention to the space itself of the shelter.
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The 'infrastructure' of a city means the physical facilities necessary for maintaining city functions, such as roads, parks, schools, and public buildings. Shelters are not considered spaces necessary for the operation of a city, nor are they classified as separate spaces, infrastructures. However, if the prerequisite for the establishment of a city is 'peace' which leads to the emergence of 'civilization' in a place, the story might be different in a divided country like ours. Moreover, as disaster risks are no longer someone else's problem, shelters may need to become one of the essential infrastructures for the entire city beyond divided nations.

Seoul already has many evacuation facilities. Subways and public buildings are typical. These places are called shelters because of their location and nature of the buildings, but that is not their main purpose. Bunkers are spaces buried underground in preparation for bombing, performing solely the role of shelters.
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'Daebang Youth Culture House' has remodeled a military bunker. Losing its military function, it has been used as a wine cellar, a storage for park maintenance materials, and now it welcomes changes. Surrounded by about ten schools, there is an excessive demand for spaces for youth. Considering the bunker's unique environment, it has the potential to become a creative space that stimulates children's imagination. Therefore, the bunker has transformed into a youth culture space that supports sports, creative activities, education, and relaxation for children to share.

The space is divided into three floors. The first floor is a sports bunker with a VR zone and sports zone, the second floor is a future bunker supporting the dreams of youth with media, multi, and sports courts, and the third floor is a youth bunker with a relaxation area. A part of the relaxation area cultivates vegetation to mitigate the space's bleakness. The existing floors were demolished and an attic was attached, creating a three-dimensional plaza that connects the three floors. Long horizontal pipes and lighting are installed to make the underground space of Daebang Mountain cool and not stuffy.
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Although shelters are necessary, they are left neglected when not in use. Large spaces of infrastructure and military facilities reveal the scale and structural beauty that are hard to experience in ordinary spaces. A differentiated space experience, an experience of evacuating from the ordinary to the extraordinary, serves as a stepping stone for children to think and grow on their own, and reminds us of being a divided country, making us realize what we need to protect for peace. In this regard, 'Daebang Youth Culture House' shows a good example of the use of shelter space and coexistence with surrounding cities.
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Remodeling: Jo Jinman Architects (@jo_jinman_architects)
Photo, Article: Hyogeun Shin (@_hyogeun_)
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#Space_That_Provides_Good_Experience
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71, Yeoidaebang-ro 36-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
Every day 09:00 - 21:00 (Closed on Mondays)