Seoul City Multipurpose Sports Center Design Competition

As society increasingly pursues individual quality of life, community sports facilities are becoming more specialized. Bangbae-dong Redevelopment District 5, once characterized by clusters of small houses spread across a sloping terrain, is now transforming into a large-scale, high-rise residential complex. Amid this dramatic shift in urban context, the Multipurpose Sports Center is located on a slope north of Isu Middle School, at the inner edge of the redevelopment site. Conceived as a complex for local residents’ sports and leisure activities, the large-scale facility remains understated, settling quietly into the changing urban landscape.

To make full use of the sloping terrain, a continuous, multi-level public space is arranged at ground level, naturally extending from the children’s park, while the large swimming pool and multipurpose gymnasium are elevated above it. The swimming pool consists of eight 50-meter lanes, accommodating both competitive swimming and community swimming programs. The multipurpose gymnasium, equivalent in size to two basketball courts, provides a flexible space capable of hosting basketball, volleyball, badminton, various other sports, and community events.

Despite its substantial scale, the upper mass of the sports center remains calm and composed, harmonizing with its surroundings. While the exterior is restrained, the interior is filled with natural light to accommodate the energy of physical activity. The building is also designed to enable natural ventilation and promote continuous air circulation. As a result, the interior provides a bright and fresh environment for active and vibrant sports activities.

The lower portion of the building, which accommodates lobby spaces at multiple levels responding to the sloping terrain, mechanical and electrical rooms, the swimming pool pit, and parking facilities, as well as the vertical cores and the central portion containing support facilities for the swimming pool and gymnasium, are constructed with reinforced concrete frames. The large long-span spaces are formed with lightweight steel trusses resting above the reinforced concrete structure, while mega-trusses along the exterior resist lateral forces. This structural system is simple yet robust enough to accommodate program spaces of varying scales. Positioned above a diverse sequence of outdoor spaces extending from Dogumeori Park to the newly created Bandal Park, the sports center establishes active connections between its interior and the children’s park. It will provide an open indoor public space for the citizens of Seoul—a place dedicated to health, activity, and vitality.