The Committee for a Performing Arts Centre launched, in May 2005, an international ideas competition in a single stage for the architectural design of a vast cultural complex. The competition was open to architects and students of architecture worldwide.

In conformity with the UNESCO-UIA regulations, this competition was approved by the International Union of Architects - UIA

This new facility is part of the Municipal authority's strategy to develop an urban policy for the quality of urban life. The Performing Arts Centre, a new architectural icon for Seoul, had to be designed to symbolise the cultural wealth, the dynamism and the international prestige of the city.

To Centre will be located on Nodeul Island – on the Han River, which divides the city of Seoul from north to south.

The Centre's programme included an opera and a concert hall, each with a capacity of 1500 seats, an open-air concert hall and other related facilities and amenities. Proposals also had to resolve the issue of access to Nodeul island and the Centre, as well as the landscaping of the island and noise pollution treatment.

The organisers received 538 registrations from 45 countries. 314 projects from 45 countries were submitted to the jury:232 by architects and 82 by students of architecture, which met in Seoul from 26 to 28 July 2005. Under the presidency of Jean-Marie Charpentier, architect (France) and Jong Soung Kimm, architect (R. of Korea), the jury was composed as follows: Stan Allen, architect (USA), Byoung Soo Cho, architect (R. of Korea), Gary Hack, architect (USA), Matthias Sauerbruch architect (Germany) representing UIA, Ken Smith, architect (USA), Maria Theodorou, architect, (Greece), Kerl Yoo, architect, (R. of Korea), Anca Bratuleanu, architect, deputy UIA representative.

Le jury awarded five grand prizes, each of a value of 30 000 US$; five first prizes of 10 000 US $ each; ten second prizes of 5 000 US $ each. Furthermore, the jury distinguished four other projects by awarding them special mention

The level of entries was high and there are a number of innovative propositions among the schemes. The integration of landscape and architecture is an important theme for the competition and also compact ionic architectural objects.

The winning projects reflect current trends in contemporary architecture. Entries were highly sophisticated in their graphic presentation and many technically proficient and architecturally accomplished and all bring creative solutions to the the island site and the performing arts programme.

GRAND PRIZES

 Song Hee Choi with Laurent Pereira Godinho, Republic of Korea
 Liang Hou with Yan qing An, Belgium
 Jung Gon Kim with Sang Dae Jung, Lee In Won, Oh Se Jung, Yun Ji Hye, Park Byoung Chan, Kim Jin Yeoup, Republic of Korea
 Anna Ranova Lundstrom with Toshihiro Kubota, Stefan Matthys, Sweden
 Andres Perea, Spain

FIRST PRIZES

 Ka Eul Chae with Soh Hyung Sup, Republic of Korea
 Jean-Pierre Durig  with Simon Kempf, Judit Laszlo, Switzerland
 Satoshi Matsuoka with Yuki Tamura, Japan
Javier Maroto Ramos with Alvaro Soto Aguirre, Silvia Natalia Gomez Diaz, Iris Jimenez Gil, Andres Aragoneses Rodriguez, Alejandra Navarrete Llopis, Carmelo Rodriguez Cedillo, Gullermo Garcia-Badell Delibes, Ion cuervas- Mons Morato, Antonio Nunez Velazquez, Spain
 Yasuhiro Yamashita with Kazuhiro Endo, Jun Sato, Japan

SECOND PRIZES

 Sergio Barreto with Mauricio Lopez, Andres Gobba, Alvaro Mendes, Matias Carballal, Uruguay
 Ropa Bernard with Nicolas Toury, Antoine Vallet, France
 Hannes Freudenreic, Germany
 Jin Kouk Jeong with Kim Young Kyu, Lee Young Seok, Jang Jae Woong, Republic of Korea
 Su Ung Ju , with Jeon Young Hoon, Oh Ki Seok, Republic of Korea;
 Mona Marbach with Tom Wiscombe, Jess Field, Josh Zabel, Jens Christian Hoff, Dennis Milam, Alex Jackson, Mona Bayr, Jan Fischer, Germany
 Staphane Maupin with Gwenael Le Chapelain, Sebastian Saint Jean, Felix Wetzstein, France
 Robert O'Mahoney with Jason Johnson, Nataly Gattegno, USA
 Frederic Roda with Cedrick Deshautels, France
 Woong Won Yoon with Kim Jeong Joo, Hong Soon Jae, Suh Joon Hyuk, Park Soo Jin, Shin Min Ho, Park Joo Hyun, Nam Kyung Min, Lee Bong Joo, Republic of Korea

MENTIONS

 Francoise  Raynaud  with Jonathan Thornhill, Paul-Emmanuel Loiret, Sony Devabhaktuni, Fabrizio Fiorentin, Sophie Le Bourva, Didier Ghislain, Maxime Tetard, Gregory Bricout, France
 Roberto Otero with Mila Linares, Vincenzo Van de Pneu, Carlota Muniain, Mexico
 Phil Reyes with Hiroyuki Kawakami USA
 Sung Goo Yang Republic of Korea