Suwon's 'Jigwan Bookshelf' Wins Korea Design Association Award at 2026 Republic of Korea Public Design Awards
The 'Suwon Jigwan Bookshelf' created at Suwon Lifelong Learning Center has received the Korea Design Association President's Award in the Public Space and Architecture Category at the '2026 Republic of Korea Public Design Awards' hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Craft and Design Foundation.
The Republic of Korea Public Design Awards is a public competition that highlights the social and cultural values of public design and selects outstanding cases and ideas that suggest new possibilities. The 2026 Republic of Korea Public Design Awards ceremony will be held on October 23 at Seoul Station History 284 (former Seoul Station).
A total of 17 winning works were selected, including the Presidential Award and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award. The Suwon Jigwan Bookshelf was selected in the Public Space and Architecture Category of the Business Division. Four institutions—Suwon Special Metropolitan City, Jigwan Foundation, SK Chemical Co., Ltd., and Lyon Architects—jointly receive the award.
The Suwon Jigwan Bookshelf is a public architecture created as a 'residential-type humanistic complex cultural space' where any citizen can freely stay, read books, and contemplate, developed in a space that was remodeled from the old Yeonmu Middle School building and used as Suwon City Lifelong Learning Center.
Beginning with local research in January 2023, the project went through design and construction in 2024 and opened in March 2025. A total investment of 1.33 billion won was made. Suwon Special Metropolitan City provided space and administrative support, Jigwan Foundation handled concept and space planning, and SK Chemical provided funding support in a private-public cooperation structure.
The creation of Jigwan Bookshelf stemmed from the recognition that the existing lifelong learning center operated primarily around program usage such as lectures and lacked "the appeal of the space itself and the experience of staying." Through local research, in-depth interviews (FGI), and citizen surveys, the theme of 'happiness' in life was incorporated throughout the space.
The existing seven classroom modules with a closed-corridor structure were integrated, and slabs were removed to reorganize the space into an open complex environment. A pit space (for equipment maintenance and inspection) discovered during construction was decorated with a natural stepped bench courtyard and garden.
Yang Yong-jun, Chief of Lifelong Learning Division of Suwon City, said, "This award is a result of external recognition of the city's efforts to transform idle public assets into humanistic spaces in the daily lives of citizens," and added, "We will continue to revitalize the space based on user experience and expand the public design model of private-public cooperation like Jigwan Bookshelf to other regions."