Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture

About this place

Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture (서울도시건축전시관) is a public institution dedicated to Seoul's urban and architectural history, opened in 2019 near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul. The centre occupies an underground exhibition space developed as part of the Sejong-daero Cultural Belt project, which aims to create a continuous public cultural corridor through the city's historic core. The programme includes permanent exhibitions on Seoul's urban development — from the Joseon capital plan through the rapid modernisation of the 20th century — as well as temporary exhibitions on current urban projects, architectural competitions, and city-making initiatives in Seoul and internationally. Scale models, archival documents, and urban data visualisations are used throughout. The centre is as much a civic tool as a cultural institution: it functions as the public face of the city's urban planning process, presenting major development projects for public engagement and serving as a space where Seoulites can understand how the city is changing and why. This orientation makes it distinct from a conventional architecture centre or museum, and worth a visit for anyone trying to understand Seoul's current urban condition from the inside.