The Ministry
of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Yoo Jinryong, hereafter MCST) has
announced the winners of the Grand Prize of the “2013 Korea Public Design
Awards.” In the Best Practices category, the “Jeongseon Samtan Art Mine Public
Design Regional Regeneration Project” was selected, while in the Design Idea
category, the “Easy-to-put” automatic foldable shelf for public restrooms
received the top honor.
Now in its
sixth year, the “Korea Public Design Awards” is hosted by MCST and organized by
the Korea Craft & Design Foundation. The awards aim to identify and honor
outstanding public design cases and ideas that embody cultural value, thereby
presenting and promoting desirable directions for public design.
The
“Jeongseon Samtan Art Mine Public Design Regional Regeneration Project,” which
won the Grand Prize in the Best Practices category, earned high marks as a
pioneering example that goes beyond the conventional hardware-focused concept
of public design by organically integrating the multiple layers of issues that
public design must address. Samtan Art Mine opened in May this year,
repurposing the historical site and materials of the former Samcheok Coal
Mine’s Jeongam Mining Office (1962–2001), including mining facilities,
machinery, and artifacts related to miners. Rather than following the format of
existing coal museums in other regions, the site has been reborn as a “cultural
art mine” through diverse curated exhibitions, artist residency programs, and
the development of original merchandise.
The
Excellence Prize in the Best Practices category went to “Tomorrow,” organized
by the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation and conceived by artist Bae Young-whan.
This project comprises five unique bookstores—Slow Reading Art Bookstore
(Suwon), Solbaram Bookstore (Gwangju), Maengggongi Bookstore (Siheung), Nawayu
Bookstore (Namyangju), and Bbaekkobmadang Bookstore (Yangpyeong)—each offering
distinctive programs for local residents to participate in. Rather than merely
converting shipping containers into spaces, the project established a
foundation for community-based cultural programs centered on books as the basis
for opening a better tomorrow. It has been praised for broadening the horizons
of public design.
The Grand
Prize in the Design Idea category was awarded to “Easy-to-put” by Kwon Minhee,
Song Hanna, Seo Eunyoung, and Seo Hyeji of Sungkyunkwan University.
“Easy-to-put” is an automatic foldable shelf for public restrooms that applies
the concept of universal design. The shelf automatically folds when the
restroom door is opened and unfolds when the door is closed, allowing users to
conveniently place their belongings and thus eliminating common inconveniences
in public restrooms. The project was lauded for demonstrating how a small idea
can bring meaningful changes to everyday life and contribute to public
convenience.
Other
awardees include one Excellence Prize and three Honorable Mentions in the Best
Practices category, two Excellence Prizes and three Honorable Mentions in the
Design Idea category, and two Honorable Mentions in the Research category.
The awards
ceremony will be held on October 17 at the Central Hall of Culture Station
Seoul 284, in celebration of October, the Month of Culture. The event will
include the presentation of certificates, along with presentations and an
exhibition of the Grand Prize-winning works. The “Korea Public Design Awards”
will continue to present public design policies and visions closely tied to
community culture and daily life, while contributing to the discovery and
dissemination of outstanding cases and ideas that embody cultural value.
