'The Wave' in Jangseongpo wins top prize at Korea Wood Architecture Awards

The Wave, a timber structure built in the Jangseongpo Whale Culture Special Zone in Nam-gu, Ulsan, has won the grand prize in the completed-works category — the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award — at the 2026 Korea Wood Architecture Awards, hosted by the Korea Forest Service and organized by the Korea Wood Construction Association. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 11 at the Seoul Energy Dream Center.

The building's name evokes "a wave of change beginning at the gateway to the Whale Culture Special Zone." It was designed by Kim Beom-gwan, a professor in the Department of Design Convergence at the University of Ulsan, and Coultra Architecture.

Nam-gu invested 7 billion won ($5.15 million) to build The Wave as a landmark public multipurpose cultural facility spanning two above-ground floors and a total floor area of 486.48 square meters.

The first floor houses office space, while the second floor and rooftop offer an observation area overlooking the sea off Jangseongpo. The structure uses heavy timber framing made from Japanese cedar, enhanced with advanced media technology to highlight the natural beauty and eco-friendliness of wood.

Nam-gu plans to develop The Wave into a destination tourism facility by linking it with Goraejam, a family-oriented tourism accommodation in the Whale Culture Special Zone, and Whale's Cart, an activity attraction in the area.