The charm of Seongsu-dong, where the past, present, and future coexist, was found in architecture.
In the third episode of MBC's cultural program "Architectural Reason - Space Traveler," which aired on the 5th, an architectural journey was depicted, exploring the secrets of Seongsu-dong, which has rapidly emerged as a hot place in recent years. The program captivated viewers by unraveling how Seongsu-dong became a hot spot through buildings that coexist with time.
Singer Brian and announcer Park Ji-min explored representative 'good feeling' spaces in Seongsu-dong, conveying the charm of Seongsu-dong's architecture to the audience. Recently, Seongsu-dong has also been loved as a global hot spot frequented by foreign tourists due to the success of K-content.
Trendsetter Jeon Hyun-moo remarked, "I went to Seongsu-dong not long ago, and it has become even hipper. Seongsu-dong is never die," expressing his excitement and sparkling his eyes whenever a hot place was mentioned. The studio humorously worried about the 'trend cut' by saying, "Is Seongsu-dong going to die now?"
First, the striking visuals of Seongsu-dong's representative landmark caught attention. This store, which utilizes only the underground as a brand space while leaving the concrete frame, was originally a three-story printing house that was renovated.
Brian exclaimed, "There are no walls, it feels like the architecture is unfinished." Architect Yoo Hyun-jun compared the reason for the popularity of this seemingly impractical store to "buying a diamond ring," explaining that the emptiness of the space, rather than being useless, became a display of luxury and flex.
Brian and Park Ji-min enjoyed the latest trends along the Yeonmu Street in Seongsu-dong, known as a mecca for pop-ups. Brian, who declared himself as 'anti-Seongsu,' saying, "I don't like noisy places," ironically conquered the 'good feeling' spaces.
Yoo Hyun-jun explained why MZ generation is enthusiastic about pop-ups, stating, "The space where they can decorate and express themselves is SNS. Taking pictures in the ever-changing pop-up stores and posting them on SNS is like building digital bricks in my virtual space," and described it as "like 'shorts of space'."
The architectural talk that unraveled the reasons why Seongsu-dong, once a factory area in the 1960s, became the center of trends was fascinating. The characteristics of factory buildings that are spacious and have high ceilings, the road network that allowed trucks to pass, the opening of subway line 2 where universities are concentrated, and its location between Gangbuk and Gangnam drew attention.
Abandoned places such as Jeongmiso, handmade shoe factories, machine factories, and parking lots were reborn as cafes through space regeneration, and Brian was captivated, saying, "I love the mix of old and new." The old red brick factory buildings became the signature of Seongsu-dong, creating its unique charm and emotion. Jeon Hyun-moo, reacting to the hot place, was encouraged to visit Seongsu-dong and jokingly said, "I should go. I need to stabilize the land prices."
After exploring the past and present of Seongsu-dong, they took a moment to glimpse into its future. There were predictions that many companies would want to relocate, leading to the development of office streets. Jeon Hyun-moo pondered, "Should I buy now?" and was taken aback by the firm response, "You can't buy it anymore." Hong Jin-kyung chimed in, "Aren't you being ignored?" causing laughter.
Brian drew attention by naming a space that could become Seongsu-dong's second hot place as 'New Good Feeling.'
Yoo Hyun-jun likened the future of Seongsu-dong to a combination of New York's Soho, where factory buildings are remodeled, and New York's Times Square, where signs change rapidly, predicting that this trend will continue until the next innovative machine after smartphones emerges.
He added, "When we live in the metaverse and see pop-up ads, Seongsu-dong could change in an instant." Urban literature scholar Kim Si-deok predicted, "Seongsu-dong will develop to the north," further piquing curiosity about the future of the hot place Seongsu-dong.
Meanwhile, MBC's "Architectural Reason - Space Traveler," which airs every Tuesday at 9 PM, is a new concept architectural talk show that explores stories across various fields such as history, culture, economy, art, and science through architecture. Star architect Yoo Hyun-jun, Jeon Hyun-moo, Hong Jin-kyung, and Park Sun-young appear on the show.
