The design for the new city hall of Cheongju aims to be more than a mere place of bureaucracy. As a lively civic centre, it engages citizens to participate in democratic processes and offers spaces for culture, celebration and recreation.

Following Korean architectural tradition, in which a house is built with its entrance towards the water and its back towards the mountain, the urban figure is positioned between Musim River and Uamsan Mountain. The historic town hall will be retained as part of the ensemble. However, as growing administrative tasks require an extended programme, they will be located in the floating horizontal building of the new town hall. Between the old and new building a generous park opens up, with lush vegetation creating a landscape link between the districts. As a green catalyst in the highly dense city centre, it provides a car-free space with natural shaded areas, clean air and a pleasant environment.

Accessible from all directions, this area will act as a stage for the public. A number of pavilions with restaurants, auditoriums, exhibitions, etc. are loosely embedded into the landscape and express their various uses in a collage of contrasting forms. As Cheongju is characterised by both small and large scale buildings, these pavilions pick up on the small scale, while the new town hall with its linear volume responds to the adjacent high-rise buildings. In anticipation of Cheongju's future development, it represents a permeable threshold between the growth of the city and the preservation of its green spaces.