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Seoul Cultural District (Daehak-ro)
from SUSTAINABLE HERITAGE – Building a Livable Future for Chinatown + People’s Park Complex Singapore
After being liberated as a Japanese colony, Korea used urban conservation and regeneration projects to not only rehabilitate and restore Korean culture but to create new cultural spaces. One such place is Daehakro, a major arts and culture street in Korea with approximately 150 theatres clustered in the area. Daehakro, which means “university street”, is about 1.6km in length and used to be the major road in the middle of Seoul National University’s original campus opened in 1929. It is the first cultural street developed by the city government that builds on the commercialization of youth and performing arts. The concentration of small theatres was encouraged and place-making efforts began in 1985 when the Seoul city administration saw the potential of the street as an arts and culture street. Amidst university restaurants, antique stores, and art shops, many small theatres were newly opened and some moved in from other parts of Seoul. The share of culture and education activities increased from 13.2% to 18.4%. A rapid increase was also seen in commercial uses such as restaurants, cafes, and bars.
In 2002, Daehakro was designated a “cultural district” and operated as a “no cars zone” on weekends. In addition to attracting international visitors, the area is frequented by many local residents. There are many types of performance and art spaces, ranging from theatres, art centres, galleries, and small concert halls that have seating capacities ranging from 75 seats to 600 seats. The district is managed by government organizations that maintain and preserve the historical and cultural identity while mediating between the theatre groups and commercial activities in the area. In addition to the theatres, visitors can visit other historically popular sites such as Marronnier Park and Naksan Park, or experience the latest trends at the various eateries and shopping facilities.
Streetscape of Daekha-ro
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
Scenes of Daehak-ro’s Cultural Activation
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
