Undulating ribbons of metallic material cascade across the facade of Unsangdong Architects's Park1538 Gwangyang Cultural Facility, creating a mesmerizing interplay between architectural mass and sculp

Vertical fins of pale warm timber ascend in rhythmic progression across the rightmost third of the composition, their surfaces catching ambient light to create alternating bands of luminosity and shad

Ascending through multiple stories of the cultural facility's monumental atrium, the composition presents a masterfully choreographed interplay between architectural structure, suspended sculptural in

Unsangdong Architects's Park1538 Gwangyang Cultural Facility manifests through a sophisticated interplay of cool indigo and violet atmospheric projections saturating an immersive architectural interio

Warm timber flooring extends through a luminous double-height exhibition gallery where pristine white walls rise to meet an exposed black industrial ceiling grid punctuated by recessed spotlights that

Platinum Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2026

Park1538 Gwangyang Cultural Facility

by Unsangdong Architects and Posco A&C

A' Design Award 2026 Platinum Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Awarded April 15, 2026
CLIENT: Posco
Estimated Number of Design Views: 4,798,142
Verification code B236F79F0F · Verify this award

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About Park1538 Gwangyang Cultural Facility

Park1538 is located in a city with a long history of steel. The project turns this industrial past into a cultural place open to the public and introduces visitors to the material, the process, and the history of making steel. Steel is often seen as heavy and rigid, but this project shows another side of the material by expressing flexibility through form and space. A cantilever hall creates an open plaza below, while vertical ribs guide visitors through layered spaces and link the different levels of the building.

Unsangdong Architects's Park1538 Gwangyang Cultural Facility exemplifies the remarkable achievements of contemporary parametric architecture, where computational design methodologies unite with material innovation to produce forms of extraordinary sculptural presence, the undulating facade screen representing a synthesis of technological capability and organic inspiration that has come to define ambitious civic architecture in the current era, the work appears to engage directly with the phenomenological tradition that understands architecture as an experiential medium, the cascading vertical fins creating perpetually shifting visual rhythms as viewers move through the surrounding landscape, their warm illumination transforming the structure into a welcoming beacon for community gathering and cultural exchange, the composition demonstrates sophisticated understanding of architectural duality, the fluid organic screen providing humanizing warmth and visual intrigue while the rectilinear volume behind maintains the functional efficiency and spatial clarity required for cultural programming, this dialogue between rational order and expressive freedom may reference the philosophical traditions that have long animated architectural discourse, suggesting that meaningful buildings must address both practical necessity and poetic aspiration, the material palette reveals careful consideration of contextual response, the metallic finishes reflecting changing atmospheric conditions while the warm lighting establishes inviting presence against the mountainous landscape, the integration of building and site through carefully orchestrated landscape elements demonstrates contemporary practice's emphasis on architecture as environmental intervention rather than isolated object, the portico formed by the dramatic curved extension of the facade screen creates threshold space that mediates between public plaza and interior program, inviting contemplation of the transition from everyday urban experience to the transformative encounters with culture that await within, viewers might consider how architectural form shapes communal identity and how buildings designed for cultural purposes carry responsibility to inspire and elevate the communities they serve

Press Kit

Unique Properties: Located in a city shaped by steel production, Park1538 transforms industrial identity into cultural value. It serves as a public platform engaging visitors with the material and history of steelmaking. Steel is commonly perceived as rigid and heavy, yet the design reveals its latent flexibility, redefining it as a spatial and formal principle. A cantilevered exhibition hall creates an open plaza, while ramps and vertical ribs guide movement through layered spaces.
Dimensions & Packaging: Building Scale: Exhibition Hall: 1 Basement Level, 4 Above-Ground Floors, Education Center: 1 Basement Level, 3 Above-Ground Floors Structure: Steel Frame, Reinforced Concrete Structure
Tags: Steel Architecture, Industrial Heritage, Cultural Platform, Cantilever Structure, Structural Expression, Long-Span Structure, Industrial Regeneration, Civic Architecture
Production Technology: The project was developed through structural experimentation with vertically oriented steel ribs of varying curvature and inclination, functioning simultaneously as load-bearing frames, facade elements, and spatial guides. Long spans were achieved through precise parametric coordination between structure and envelope. Circulation was conceived as a three-dimensional sequence shaped by ramps and a grand stair integrated into the structural logic. The landscape reconfigures the flat industrial ground into planted mounds, embedding former machinery as sculptural artifacts.
Design Challenge: The rib goes beyond a simple envelope. It functions simultaneously as structure, space, and finish, almost like a living organism. Therefore, even a minor change in the position or size of an interior room inevitably causes interference or conflict among the reference module, the linear finishing of the ribs, and the steel truss structure. These concerns were addressed from the early design stage through precise 3D modeling and verification simulations. Integrating the distinctive form with a rational facade system and structural stability required a highly advanced level of integrated design coordination.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2020 and was completed in April 2025.
Operation Flow: The project operates as an open public platform where structure and circulation shape the visitor experience. Movement unfolds through ramps and vertical transitions, gradually revealing framed views of the city and industrial landscape. The cantilever creates a sheltered plaza, extending public space beneath. Steel ribs act as structure, facade, and spatial guides simultaneously, enabling long spans and flexible layouts. This integration of structure and space results in clarity, adaptability, and immersive engagement.
Research: This research was site-based, focusing on a former greenhouse within Gwangyang Steelworks of POSCO, surrounded by heavy industry yet framed by the Seomjin River and Baegunsan Mountain. The objective was to transform a production-oriented site into a public cultural space. Through historical study, site analysis, and user mapping, we examined industrial heritage and environmental contrasts. The result reconnects industry, landscape, and community, turning a closed industrial ground into an open civic platform.
Inspiration: The design draws inspiration from the name of the city, Gwangyang, which means sunlight. Sweeping, curved surfaces reflect and refract light throughout the day, making the building a dynamic presence. The fluid geometry of the steel expresses both its weight and surprising adaptability, turning strength and flexibility into sculptural yet purposeful architecture.
Image Credits: Photographer Sergio Pirrone, Park1538 Gwangyang, 2025
Video Credits: Sergio Pirrone
Patents: Copyrights belong to Unsangdong Architects Cooperation, 2026