Explore one of Seoul's trendiest spots through architect-led tour of Seongsu

Seongdong District will host its 10th annual Gagahoho Architecture Academy in Seongsu-dong from Oct. 26-31, culminating in an architect-led walking tour on Oct. 31. Four architects will guide 20 local residents past landmarks including Daelim Warehouse, Seongsu Yeonbang and the Dior flagship. The program also includes design workshops for more than 100 elementary school students. The district has used regulations, preservation measures and subsidies to protect local businesses and Seongsu’s red-brick architecture.

The academy is organized in partnership with the Seongdong Architects Association.

The walking tour will begin at the local Footwear Theme Park and include Amore Seongsu and boutique spaces for Tamburins and Blue Elephant.

Seongdong District enacted a preservation ordinance in July 2017 to protect red-brick structures dating to the 1970s and 1980s.

Subsidies have helped property owners restore brick facades near Ttukseom Station, the Korea National Open University area and Seongsu Station cafe street.

Yoo Hyun-jun, an architect and Hongik University professor, described Seongsu-dong as a hybrid spatial model combining adaptive reuse with rapidly changing storefronts.

Published Oct 24, 2026 7:00 am KST

Weeklong academy highlights urban preservation policy, bold designs shaping trendy district

Daelim Changgo in Seongsu-dong was originally a rice mill and warehouse in the early 1970s that was converted into a cafe and gallery space, and has become a symbol of the area's transition from light industry and manufacturing into one of Seoul’s trendiest neighborhoods. Courtesy of Seoul Tourism Organization

On the paved narrow streets of Seongsu-dong, red-brick shoe factories built during Korea’s mid-century manufacturing boom now stand beside sweeping, glass-fronted flagships and repurposed industrial storehouses.

Once a gritty hub for leather workers and cobblers, the neighborhood has earned a reputation as the "Brooklyn of Seoul" — a playground for architectural experimentation where old-world industrial heritage meets ultra-modern design.

Now, local authorities are opening the doors to this urban metamorphosis, inviting residents to walk through the neighborhood's living architectural archive alongside professional designers.

Seongdong District said it will host its 10th annual "Gagahoho" Architecture Academy from Oct. 26-31 in partnership with the Seongdong Architects Association. The weeklong initiative culminates on Oct. 31 with an architect-led walking tour through Seongsu-dong’s most famous structures, offering 20 local residents an insider’s look at the precinct's spatial evolution.

Led by four professional architects, the tour will set off from the local Footwear Theme Park and wander past standout landmarks, including the metallic mesh-draped Dior flagship, the raw industrial expanse of Daelim Warehouse, Seongsu Yeonbang, Amore Seongsu and boutique spaces for Tamburins and Blue Elephant.

Seongsu-dong’s transformation was no accident.

As light manufacturing waned in the late 1990s, artists and independent designers gravitated to the district’s high ceilings and affordable rents. Recognizing the threat of commercial gentrification, Seongdong District took regulatory steps, including an unprecedented ban recently on large corporate franchise stores to preserve the area and protect mom-and-pop tenants.

Simultaneously, the district enacted a preservation ordinance in July 2017 to protect its iconic red-brick structures dating back to the 1970s and 80s. Local subsidies have since helped property owners restore vintage brick facades across major hubs near Ttukseom Station, the Korea National Open University area and the Seongsu Station cafe street, cementing the crimson brickwork as Seongsu-dong’s signature aesthetic.

Prominent architectural commentators point to this blending of industrial heritage and fast-moving retail as the core of Seongsu-dong's unique spatial identity.

“Seongsu-dong has become a hybrid spatial model,” said Yoo Hyun-jun, an architect and professor at Hongik University. “It combines the adaptive reuse of New York’s Soho, where historic factory shells are preserved, with the rapidly changing storefront dynamics of Times Square.”

Beyond the walking tour, the weeklong academy extends into local classrooms to inspire the next generation of designers. Throughout the week, professional architects will lead hands-on workshops for over 100 elementary school students, introducing young learners to basic design principles before guiding them in building their own miniature architectural models.

“We hope this academy offers children a chance to cultivate creativity while allowing residents to rediscover the architectural heritage and unique value of Seongsu-dong,” said Yu Bo-hwa, head of Seongdong District Office. “We will continue providing opportunities for people to experience architecture and urban spaces in their daily lives.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

10月26日至31日，圣东区将在圣水洞举办第十届“Gagahoho建筑学院”活动，并于10月31日举行由建筑师带领的步行导览活动。届时，四位建筑师将带领20位当地居民参观包括大林仓库、圣水延房和迪奥旗舰店在内的地标性建筑。此外，该活动还包括面向100多名小学生的创意设计工作坊。圣东区一直致力于通过法规、保护措施和补贴等手段，保护当地企业和圣水红砖建筑。

该学院是与城东建筑师协会合作举办的。

步行游览将从当地的鞋履主题公园开始，途经 Amore Seongsu 以及 Tamburins 和 Blue Elephant 的精品店。

2017 年 7 月，城东区颁布了一项保护条例，以保护建于 20 世纪 70 年代和 80 年代的红砖建筑。

补贴帮助业主修复了纛岛站、韩国国立开放大学附近以及圣水站咖啡街附近的砖砌外墙。

建筑师兼弘益大学教授柳贤俊将圣水洞描述为一种混合空间模型，结合了适应性再利用和快速变化的店面。

发布于2026年10月24日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

为期一周的研讨会重点介绍城市保护政策和塑造时尚街区的大胆设计

位于圣水洞的大林昌古，前身是上世纪70年代初的一家碾米厂和仓库，后来改建为咖啡馆和画廊，如今已成为该地区从轻工业和制造业中心转型为首尔时尚街区的象征。图片由首尔旅游局提供

在圣水洞狭窄的石板路上，建于韩国上世纪中叶制造业繁荣时期的红砖鞋厂，如今与气派的玻璃幕墙旗舰店和改建的工业仓库并肩而立。

这个街区曾经是皮革工人和鞋匠的聚集地，如今已赢得了“首尔的布鲁克林”的美誉——这里是建筑实验的乐园，旧世界的工业遗产与超现代的设计在这里相遇。

现在，地方当局正敞开大门，迎接这场城市蜕变，邀请居民与专业设计师一起漫步于社区的活建筑档案馆中。

城东区宣布将于10月26日至31日与城东建筑师协会合作举办第十届“Gagahoho”建筑学院。为期一周的活动将于10月31日达到高潮，届时将由建筑师带领20位当地居民步行参观圣水洞最著名的建筑，深入了解该地区的空间演变历程。

此次游览由四位专业建筑师带领，从当地的鞋履主题公园出发，途经众多著名地标，包括金属网状装饰的迪奥旗舰店、大林仓库的原始工业风、圣水延房、爱慕圣水以及 Tamburins 和 Blue Elephant 的精品店空间。

圣洙洞的转变并非偶然。

上世纪90年代末，随着轻工业的衰落，艺术家和独立设计师纷纷涌向城东区，因为这里层高较高，租金也相对低廉。城东区意识到商业高档化的威胁，采取了一系列监管措施，包括近期史无前例地禁止大型连锁企业入驻，以保护该地区的特色，并维护小型独立商户的利益。

与此同时，该地区于 2017 年 7 月颁布了一项保护条例，以保护其标志性的红砖建筑，这些建筑的历史可以追溯到 20 世纪 70 年代和 80 年代。此后，地方政府的补贴帮助业主修复了纛岛站附近主要枢纽、韩国国立开放大学区域和圣水站咖啡街的复古砖砌外墙，巩固了红砖建筑作为圣水洞标志性美学的地位。

著名建筑评论家指出，工业遗产与快速零售的融合是圣水洞独特空间特征的核心。

“圣水洞已经成为一种混合空间模式，”弘益大学建筑师兼教授柳贤俊说。“它结合了纽约苏豪区对历史工厂建筑的适应性再利用，以及时代广场快速变化的店面动态。”

除了步行参观之外，为期一周的学院活动还将延伸到当地课堂，旨在启发下一代设计师。在这一周里，专业建筑师将为100多名小学生举办实践工作坊，向小朋友们介绍基本的设计原理，并指导他们制作自己的微缩建筑模型。

“我们希望这所学院能为孩子们提供培养创造力的机会，同时也能让居民重新发现圣水洞的建筑遗产和独特价值，”圣水洞区政府负责人俞宝华表示，“我们将继续为人们提供在日常生活中体验建筑和城市空间的机会。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。