The Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) of Korea is planning to build an Asian Culture Complex in Gwangju.

This complex, the aim of which is to promote Asian values in the field of the arts and culture, is the object of an international competition, launched by the Ministry’s Executive Agency for Culture Cities.

This international, single stage, project competition open to architects world-wide, is organised in conformity with the UNESCO-UIA regulations and is approved by the International Union of Architects - UIA.

The city of Gwangju is a model of Asian democracy and, as such, can contribute to the construction of a culture based on equality and human rights for all the people of Asia.

The government of the Republic of Korea has initiated a development policy for the city or Gwangju, situated in the southwestern part of the country, in order to provide a hub of Asian culture and promote the national culture industry. It is in this spirit that the complex will be built and must be designed to fulfil the following objectives:
• Provide facilities to strengthen the role of Gwangiu as Asia's culture centre and create the strategic basis of contemporary arts and culture;
• Develop a space for the recreation of cultural values by combining arts and industry;

• Develop a space for the recreation of cultural values by combining arts and industry;
• Create a venue for research and for practice of education reform, which incorporates culture and artistic creativity;
• Create a cultural powerhouse for the development of Asian cultural and the promotion of regional economy.

General information on the city of Gwangju is available on the following web site:
http://eng.gjcity.net/mainFrame.jsp

To be constructed on an urban site of 118 170 m², the built complex will total 142 718 m² and include an Asian Culture Centre, an Asian Artplex, a Children’s Museum, an Asian Culture Network Centre, as well as the necessary associated facilities.

27 June 2005

4 November 2005

11 November 2005

28 November -
2 December 2005

• Richard England, architect, Malta representing the UIA
• Ken Yeang, architect, Malaysia
• Yung Ho Chang, architect, P.R.China
• Marcos Novak, architect, Venezuela/USA
• Kimm, Jong Soung, architect, Korea
• Chung, Guyon, architect, Korea
• Kim, Junsung, architect, Korea
and
• Rainer Verbizh, architect, Austria/France, deputy UIA representative

• First prize: 200 000 US$;
• Two second prizes of 50 000 US$ each;
• Four third prizes of 30 000 US$ each;
• Ten mentions of 20 000 US$ each.

The competition is open to architects world-wide, and to multi-disciplinary teams led by an architect, authorised to practice the profession in their countries.
Registration will be made on-line on the competition site:
http://www.acc2005.org

The non-reimbursable registration fee of 100 000 KRW (equivalent to 100 US$) will be paid on-line by credit card.

The competition language is English.

Competitors will submit the following graphic documents on 9 panels, format A1 (841 mm X 594 mm):
• Site plan at scale 1/800;
• Plan of each floor, two elevations (or more), two sections (or more) at scale 1/400
• A perspective on one of the A1 panels.
• A written description of a maximum of twenty pages (format A4), in ten copies.
• A CD rom of all the above, text and graphic documents. Graphics of 300 dpi or higher resolution.