Suncheon's new city hall, clad in green, set for October move-in

Suncheon's new city hall, built at a cost of 216.5 billion won ($155 million), has reached more than 90 percent completion, with a final inspection planned for October before departments begin moving in on a rolling basis.

According to the city on Friday, the new hall held a groundbreaking ceremony in December 2023 and began construction the following year. The complex is being built on a 26,758-square-meter site adjacent to the existing city hall and will have a total floor area of 47,143 square meters. It comprises six buildings — a main administrative wing and a council wing, each with one below-ground floor and six above, along with a cultural station and three other structures.

The main administrative complex in the original downtown area is laid out in a cross shape, with four office wings standing four to six stories tall. The council building and the "cultural station" — funded through a national government grant program for community infrastructure — are organically connected to the rest of the complex, bringing the total to six buildings.

The most striking feature of the new complex is its deep green exterior trim.

Suncheon, home to Suncheonman National Garden — the country's first designated national garden — has adopted a rich green palette for its public buildings to reinforce its identity as an ecological city, inject vitality into the muted tones of the original downtown, and project a visually calming presence.

"In the past, city halls were authoritative buildings, but the new hall is meant to be an open space shared with citizens," Mayor Son Hun-mo said. "Green is the color that best expresses Suncheon — the city's nature, its value as an ecological city, a place of rest for residents, and a symbol of the city we want to leave for future generations."