A water plant recycled into a cultural haven

The Seongnam Mulbit Garden [SEONGNAM CITY]

The interior of the Seongnam Mulbit Garden Music Hall sits unused before the reconstruction project begins. The space had been abandoned for 30 years. [SEONGNAM CITY]

A concert celebrating Pregnant Women’s Day is held at the Seongnam Mulbit Garden Music Hall on Oct. 10. [SEONGNAM CITY]

 
Water always carries the memories of a city as it flows.
In a corner of Gumi-dong of Seongnam City, Gyeonggi, where the Tan and Dongmak streams meet, an old sewage treatment plant, long abandoned, has been reborn as a vibrant space filled with music and art.
 
Opened on Sept. 5, the Seongnam Mulbit Garden Music Hall is more than just a performance venue — it stands as a symbol of urban regeneration, bridging the past and present while reaching toward the future.
 
Through the first phase of a regeneration project of the sewage treatment plant, Seongnam has transformed a 4,325-square-meter (1-acre) site into a music hall, cafe and relaxation area. A once-closed-off facility is now a cultural garden open to the public.
 
During the day, visitors can enjoy rest and strolls, while at night, the space offers a space with lights and music.
 
At the opening ceremony, Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin said, “I hope this special site, where the Tan and Dongmak streams meet, becomes a cultural haven for all and a hub where music and art harmonize.”
 
Before the transformation, the site remained dormant for years. The treatment plant was built in 1997 for around 15 billion won ($10.4 million), but never went into full operation due to resident opposition and environmental complaints.
 
Ownership disputes among Seongnam, neighboring Yongin and the Korea Land Corporation dragged on for years, leaving the space unused.
 
In 2006, after Seongnam took ownership, new plans for the site were discussed, but various proposals fell through on conflicting resident opinion administrative hurdles and politics.
 
Eventually, the city decided not to leave the site abandoned any longer. After installing safety facilities and creating green spaces, the park was first opened to the public, and through a public naming contest, it was christened the Seongnam Mulbit Garden.
 
“This space, which had remained inactive for nearly 30 years, has been reborn by the hands of our citizens,” Mayor Shin said. “It will become a new symbol of Seongnam, where everyone can walk, relax and enjoy culture.”  
 
The core of this regeneration project is preservation and transformation. The city has retained the original structure of the building as much as possible while repurposing the space into a venue for culture and the arts.
 
The city plans to install a world-class art museum to the site’s remaining 24,000 square meters. The plan includes preserving concrete structures and some facilities of the sewage treatment plant and integrating them into the museum’s interior in a unique approach.
 
Ahead of the music hall’s opening, Javier Sánchez, a leading urban regeneration architect from Mexico, visited Seongnam. Since founding his firm, JSa, in 1996, he has led over 190 projects across Mexico and South America, establishing himself as a pioneer in urban regeneration.
 
Guided by the mayor, Sánchez toured the tunnel-like underground channels of the former treatment plant, and praised the project, saying, “Transforming a sewage treatment plant into a central cultural facility is unprecedented worldwide.”
 
The architect added, “The Seongnam Mulbit Garden, extending from underground to aboveground, from light to water and up to the rooftop, offers a multidimensional spatial experience with immense potential to become a compelling urban regeneration cultural landmark.”
 
The garden is more than just a space. Like the flow of water, it carries memories, stacking future culture upon the traces of the past, serving as a living textbook of urban regeneration.
 
It is a space where the public can enjoy music and art and experience the city’s future within the rhythm of daily life. The new cultural map of Seongnam begins here.
 

BY JANG HAYOON [[email protected]]