Korea Institute of Design Promotion Pilots 'IndusStay' Industrial Complex Improvement Idea in Wanju

Pilot Program Results to Inform Future Landmark Design in Wanju

The Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) announced on September 29 that it will conduct a pilot operation of the industrial complex improvement idea, 'IndusStay,' together with Wanju County. The pilot will be held at the Artist Village Art Experience Center II near Samrye Book Village in Wanju County, North Jeolla Province, through October 9.

'IndusStay' is an idea discovered through the 'Wanju Culture-Leading Industrial Complex Youth Design Living Lab,' a program where industrial complex workers and local residents directly plan spaces and services needed at the site. The Wanju Culture-Leading Industrial Complex Youth Design Living Lab is a participatory project hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Wanju County, and run by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion and Wanju Culture & Tourism Foundation.

'IndusStay' is a multi-purpose space that combines accommodation and a lounge. It was designed to address the lack of accommodation, dining, and rest areas that workers in the Wanju Industrial Complex have been facing.

For this pilot operation, specialized service design firm VinylX will collaborate to set up a small-scale mock-up of the IndusStay lounge, allowing the team to observe users’ rest and recovery experiences and their responses to the space’s layout. Surveys will also be conducted to identify demand and preferences. The results obtained through this pilot will serve as reference data for designing a landmark planned for construction in Wanju in the future.

Wanju Ogamjae panoramic view. Korea Institute of Design Promotion

To this end, the healing lounge 'Wanju Ogamjae' has been created as an experiential space that allows visitors to rest and recharge using all five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. It consists of six themed zones: 'Viewing Area,' where visitors can enjoy panoramas of Wanju; 'Reading & Writing Area,' for reading books and enjoying quiet moments with brush pens and hanji postcards; 'Touching Area,' where visitors can handle local ceramics; 'Listening Area,' for listening to LP records; 'Fragrance of Wanju,' where one can experience the scents of local hinoki, ginger, and dried persimmons; and 'Taste of Wanju,' where guests can enjoy local snacks and tea.

'Wanju Ogamjae' is open to all Wanju Industrial Complex workers and local residents. Detailed schedules and application methods for the experiential programs are available on the Wanju Youth Design Living Lab Instagram account.

Experiential programs linked to local resources will also be run in conjunction. On October 3, there will be yoga, meditation, and singing bowl sessions; on October 4, a pottery-making program; and on October 7, a Makgeolli brewing session at Wanju Ogamjae and cafés in the Samrye Book Village area. Each program will be led by local creators, and advance registration is required for participation.

Yoonjoo Kang, President of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, stated, "We hope this pilot operation will serve as a meaningful foundation for making the Wanju landmark a popular place for workers and local residents alike."

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