Sanggye Library to close Dec. 1, targeting reopening in September 2028
Redesign will introduce open reading rooms, a children's integrated reading room and smart library services, with green remodeling to boost energy efficiency and a rooftop outdoor rest area
Seoul's Nowon-gu will pour 9.4 billion won ($6.92 million) into a sweeping overhaul of Sanggye Library, transforming it into an eco-friendly multipurpose cultural space where reading, culture and relaxation come together.
The district announced that the library will close Dec. 1 for renovation work combining green remodeling with a full interior redesign, with a target reopening date of September 2028.
Sanggye Library opened in 2012 as a public library spanning one below-ground floor and four above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 2,466.45 square meters. Despite several rounds of maintenance since its opening, aging building systems and the limitations of its reading-room-focused layout have long been cited as shortcomings.
The district said the project goes beyond routine repairs, aiming to fundamentally change how the library functions and how residents use it.
Work will begin with reinforcing insulation on the exterior walls and roof, and replacing aging windows, heating and cooling systems, and ventilation equipment. Solar panels will be installed on the rooftop to improve energy efficiency, and indoor air quality upgrades will create a more comfortable reading environment.
The interior will be restructured around an open, user-centered layout. Existing partitioned reading rooms will give way to open spaces with individual study seats and group study rooms. Multipurpose rooms and seminar spaces will be configured to host book clubs, cultural lectures and community gatherings.
Each floor will take on a distinct role. The first floor will house an integrated reading room for children and toddlers, a welcome lounge and a café, while the second floor will feature a multipurpose community hall. The third and fourth floors will center on general reading rooms, digital spaces and lounges. The basement level will offer community rooms and rest areas, along with improved accessibility facilities for people with disabilities, the elderly and others with mobility needs.
Digital services will also be expanded, combining e-library, digital library and smart library functions alongside a self-service borrowing and return system. The rooftop will be landscaped with trees and plants to create an outdoor rest area where visitors can read and relax both inside and outside the library.
The district has also put measures in place to minimize inconvenience to residents during the extended closure.
Interlibrary loan requests will be suspended starting Monday, and all book lending and access to reading rooms and reference areas will end Nov. 30. Book returns will remain possible for a limited period through an unmanned return box at the main entrance.
During the closure, residents will be able to borrow up to 50 books at a time through a long-term lending service called "Dokseoae." The district also plans to distribute a neighborhood book map listing nearby small libraries and local bookstores, and will promote interlibrary loan services at those libraries as well as an on-demand local bookstore lending program, aiming to keep reading disruptions to a minimum.
Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o said the district would develop Sanggye Library into "a resident-centered multipurpose cultural space where reading, culture and relaxation come together," adding that it would "carry out the eco-friendly facility improvements and spatial redesign without a hitch, and carefully operate alternative services so residents can continue their reading activities without inconvenience even during the closure period."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
