Jinju's Public Timber Architecture Wins at National Competition for Sixth Consecutive Year

‘Jeongchon Haengbok Dream Center’ Wins Excellence Award at 24th Korea Wooden Architecture Awards
Open Spaces Using Timber Trusses and Organic Connections Between Facilities Earn High Praise
Public Timber Architecture Expanded Since Introduction of Public Architect System in 2019

Jinju City in South Gyeongsang Province has continued to make strides in public timber architecture, winning awards at the Korea Wooden Architecture Awards for six consecutive years.

The city announced on November 11 that the Jeongchon Haengbok Dream Center, a multipurpose community facility, had won the Excellence Award, also known as the National Institute of Forest Science Director General's Award, at the 24th Korea Wooden Architecture Awards.

With this award, Jinju City has now won awards at the Korea Wooden Architecture Awards for six consecutive years, from 2021 through 2026.

[Photo provided by Jinju City] Jinju City officials pose for a commemorative photo after the Jeongchon Haengbok Dream Center won the Excellence Award (President of the National Institute of Forest Science Award) at the 24th Korea Wood Architecture Awards.

The Korea Wooden Architecture Awards is a competition specializing in timber architecture, organized and hosted by the Korea Forest Service and the Korea Wood Architecture Association. Held annually, it aims to recognize buildings that make use of the structural and aesthetic qualities of wood and to promote the potential applications of timber architecture.

This year's competition was held under the theme "From Parts to the Whole." The Jeongchon Haengbok Dream Center was selected as an award-winning entry after document and on-site evaluations.

The Jeongchon Haengbok Dream Center is a multipurpose community facility designed for shared use by workers at the Jeongchon Industrial Complex and local residents.

The center offers cultural and recreational facilities, including a multipurpose hall, a table tennis room, coin-operated karaoke rooms, and Gangju Book Cafe. The Southern District Health Promotion Branch Office is also located there, supporting residents' health management and leisure activities.

The judges recognized how the project organically connects facilities with different functions and incorporates the structural characteristics of wood into the architectural design.

In particular, the multipurpose hall uses a long-span timber truss system, which allows for greater distances between columns, minimizing the number of interior columns and creating an open space.

Windows on the upper north side of the building bring natural light indoors, while the exposed timber truss structure on the ceiling showcases the building's structural features as part of the interior design.

In addition, individual facilities with different uses are connected by a courtyard and outdoor decks, creating opportunities for users to move around and interact. The layout and design, which take into account the surrounding natural landscape, including nearby Gangju Pond, are also among the project's notable features.

The spatial design was praised for aligning with this year's competition theme by allowing the building as a whole to serve as a multipurpose community space while preserving the functions of its individual facilities.

Since introducing South Gyeongsang Province's first public architect system in 2019, Jinju City has pursued projects to improve the design of public buildings and how their spaces are used.

The public architect system allows private-sector architectural experts to participate in the planning and design of public buildings, with the aim of enhancing their public value and design quality.

Beginning with the top prize for the Munsan-eup Residents' Autonomy Center Eoulim Madang in 2021 and including the grand prize for the Mulbit Naru Rest Area, the city has continued to win awards at the Korea Wooden Architecture Awards for its public timber buildings.

With the Jeongchon Haengbok Dream Center receiving the Excellence Award this year, the city has maintained its record of winning awards for six consecutive years.

A city official said, "This award is the result of our continued efforts to promote public architecture that makes use of the qualities of wood. We will continue to expand public architecture that takes local characteristics and building uses into account, and create spaces that residents can use conveniently."

Meanwhile, Jinju City plans to continue pursuing construction projects for public facilities based on its public architect system, taking into account their functions and design as well as how they harmonize with their surroundings.

For Jinju City's success in public timber architecture to continue, it will be important to manage these buildings by considering not only their design and structural integrity, but also ease of use, maintenance efficiency, and the extent to which residents use them.

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