Yuhan Corporation's Former Headquarters Transformed... "Willow House" Wins Presidential Award at Korea Space and Culture Awards

Former Headquarters Built in 1963 Reborn as a Space Open to the Public
Seoul's Eoullim Plaza Wins the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence

Yuhan Corporation's multipurpose cultural space, Yuhan Corporation Willow House, which opened last June, has been selected for the Presidential Award, the grand prize of the 2026 Korea Space and Culture Awards.

Willow House is the former Yuhan Corporation headquarters in Daebang-dong, built in 1963, which was renovated and transformed into an open space where the company's memories meet the everyday lives of local residents. It is owned by Yuhan Corporation and was designed by SIA Plan Architects.

Yuhan Corporation Willow House. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on October 15 that, following this year's judging, Yuhan Corporation Willow House had been selected for the grand prize of the Korea Space and Culture Awards.

Now in its 21st year, the Korea Space and Culture Awards have been presented since 2006 to raise social awareness of well-designed living spaces and improve the quality of people's cultural lives.

This year, 52 entries were submitted by local governments, public institutions, and private organizations nationwide. After reviewing applications and conducting on-site inspections, the judging committee selected six final award winners based on a comprehensive assessment of public access and openness, contributions to residents' quality of life, architectural and spatial creativity and sense of place, environmental friendliness, and the preservation and use of historical and cultural resources.

The judging committee praised Willow House, saying, "The overwhelming presence of the place, the history embodied in its red brick, and the sincerity of its public space devoted to citizens moved us deeply." It added, "The project proves that privately owned architectural heritage can become architecture that carries the community into a new era when opened to the public, and sets a new standard for public spaces created by private companies."

The Prime Minister's Award, the top prize, went to Seoul Eoullim Plaza. It is an example of public architecture that began as a welfare facility for people with disabilities and expanded into a cultural, welfare, educational, and sports space used by local residents together.

The judging committee said, "The passion of the architect and the public sector's steadfast commitment stand out in transforming a facility for people with disabilities into a courtyard for everyone to enjoy." It added, "We hope this kind of initiative will spread nationwide."

The Dure Nanum Award, presented by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, went to Table of the Village (Indongchon Senior Welfare Center's Baengnyeon Restaurant) in Seo-gu, Daegu. It was recognized for enabling local residents to take the lead in shaping their area's spatial culture.

The Street and Plaza Award, given to outstanding streets and plazas, went to Namhae Local Food Direct Market. The Nuri Rest Area Award, for nature-friendly places of respite, went to Jinju's Five Rest Stops Left by the Railway.

Paran Gogan in Buan County, North Jeolla Province, was selected for the Uri Sarang Award, presented to spaces that make effective use of local historical and cultural resources.

The awards ceremony will be held on October 27 at the 2026 Korea Architecture and Culture Festival. Photographs and videos of the winning projects will also be exhibited at the festival, which runs from October 27 to 31 at BEXCO in Busan.

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