The Evolution of Industrial Facilities: "KG Safety Training Center" Wins Grand Prize at Ulsan City Architecture Awards

Public Value and Design Innovation in Industrial Architecture Highly Praised


Seven Works Recognized, Including the Children’s Reading Experience Center and The Wave

This year, Korea Zinc's "KG (KZ) Safety Training Center" was selected as the grand prize winner at the Ulsan City Architecture Awards. The facility was highly praised for transcending the functional limitations of industrial facilities and architecturally embodying both the urban landscape and the company’s future vision, earning it recognition as the best architectural work of the year.

The City of Ulsan announced that a judging panel made up of ten experts in the field of architecture comprehensively reviewed 43 entries across four categories—residential, public, general, and renovation (remodeling)—focusing on criteria such as creativity, functionality, and public value. As a result, one grand prize and six top excellence awards were selected.

The grand prize-winning KG Safety Training Center was designed by architect Kim Jaesung of Diffusion Architects Co., Ltd., and constitutes a core facility in the master plan for Korea Zinc’s Onsan Refinery site. The jury praised its reflection of the vision of an eco-friendly company in its architecture, and the way it elevated an industrial facility into a component of the city’s landscape.

In particular, the vertical louver façade, which visualizes the non-ferrous metal production process at the Onsan Refinery, symbolically expresses the identity of Ulsan’s industry. The orderly exterior also helps break away from the typically closed-off image associated with industrial facilities. It has been evaluated as a new industrial architecture model that, beyond function-centric factory design, harmonizes with the city.

This grand prize is especially significant as it continues Korea Zinc’s recent track record of architectural innovation. Following SK Chemicals’ office building "The BRICK Wall" in 2024 and Korea Zinc’s "KG Parking Building" in 2025, the KG Safety Training Center has also become an award-winning project, demonstrating that industrial facilities too can become architectural assets enhancing the quality of urban life.

This trend is also seen as part of efforts to reshape Ulsan’s image as an industrial city. Industrial architecture, which in the past focused solely on productivity and efficiency, is evolving to incorporate design, eco-friendliness, and public value, thus improving the gray image of industrial complexes and raising the competitiveness of the city's brand.

The top excellence awards were given to outstanding projects in the public, general, and residential categories.

In the public category, the "Children’s Reading Experience Center" in Dangsadong, Buk-gu and "The Wave" in Maeamdong, Nam-gu received top honors. The Children’s Reading Experience Center realized an educational and cultural space where reading and experiential activities coexist by connecting forest, sea, and sky through an open spatial arrangement. "The Wave" was recognized for combining a media façade with an observatory inspired by a whale skeleton, highlighting its promise as both a tourist attraction and a city landmark.

In the general category, "STAR OFFICE BUILDING," which reinterpretated the image of the Jangsaengpo sea in a modern way, and "Insighton Office," which creatively utilized a compact site, received high marks. Both projects demonstrated the effective implementation of local character and spatial efficiency, offering new possibilities for workplace facility architecture.

In the residential category, "Tteungok," which embodies the architect’s philosophy in spatial form, and "Miho House," which realizes diverse spatial perspectives within a restrained exterior, won the top excellence award. Both were praised for their nuanced approach to the relationship with nature, convenience in daily life, and depth of space.

Commemorative plaques will be attached to the award-winning buildings, and trophies will be presented to their owners and designers. Citizens will have the opportunity to view models and photographs of the winning works in person during the 10th Ulsan Architecture Culture Festival, which will be held from October 14 to October 18.

An official from Ulsan City commented, "We hope that the Ulsan City Architecture Awards become a more familiar and prestigious accolade for our citizens," and pledged, "We will continue to discover outstanding architectural culture in Ulsan and enhance the city’s architectural competitiveness."

KG Safety Education Center (Yoon Junhwan, Artist).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.