SPACE July 2025 (No. 692)
Winning proposal of Design Competition for Seoul Startup Hub Guro / ©i_architects
On June 13, i_architects (principal, Park Nowook) was selected as the winner of the design competition for Seoul Startup Hub Guro, organised by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The competition site is located in the G-valley, a major manufacturing hub in Southwestern district of Guro and Gasan in Seoul. This competition aligns with the city’s plan to revitalise the declining industrial zones by transforming them into a high‑growth industry cluster and providing specialist services for advanced manufacturing startups. In this competition, participants are tasked with designing a ‘micro-factory’, which will support the entire production cycle, from idea generation and prototyping to small-scale production within a site area of 3,452m 2 , a gross floor area of 16,652m 2 and a maximum height of 9F, 40m.
The winning proposal, called ‘Urban Platform for Resilience’ focuses on both structure with flexibility and a spatial configuration that enhances work productivity. The programme is divided into four different zones: an immersive workspace, a micro‑factory, tenant operations, and refreshments. All of them are interconnected through two central cores and horizontal circulation, creating a three‑dimensional spatial flow. The manufacturing zone, with a rigid equipment layout is applied to the expandable space, while research and office zones feature a variable open‑plan layout with voids to accommodate future expansion. Additionally, responding to the surrounding urban context, the design also proposes an extension of potential pedestrian circulation from the adjacent public space, formerly the Seoul Southern Detention Centre, into the building interior.
With a construction budget of 80.8 billion won, Seoul Startup Hub Guro is scheduled for completion in 2029.
