Hanwha to turn Seoul landmark into modern art hub

Standing 249 meters (817 feet) high, 63 SQUARE, well known as the 63 Building to older generations, was once the tallest building in Seoul until it ceded its fame to the 555-meter Lotte World Tower, which opened in the South Korean capital in 2017 and is also the world's fifth tallest building. 

However, the Yeouido landmark is now readying to regain its forgotten glory  -- but with greater focus on its inner beauty than its stature. 

Hanwha Group on Thursday announced that it has signed a binding contract with the Centre Pompidou, a world renowned modern and contemporary art museum in Paris, France, to open a branch in Seoul.

This is a follow-up measure to the Hanwha Foundation of Culture in March signing a memorandum of understanding with the Centre Pompidou to open a branch in the city.

The new center in Seoul, dubbed the Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul, will be nestled in an annex to 63 SQUARE and aims to open its doors to visitors in October 2025 after renovation.

LANDMARK OF ARTS AND CULTURE 

Under the terms, Hanwha will operate the Centre Pompidou in Seoul for four years and present two exhibitions annually featuring the French art museum’s collection modern and contemporary artwork until 2029.

Korea’s seventh-largest conglomerate will also hold its own original exhibitions twice a year in the Seoul branch of the French art museum.

The Centre Pompidou, which opened in 1905, boasts a rich collection of modern and contemporary art.

As home to around 120,000 historically significant works of art, it owns masterpieces by modern artists such as Chagall, Matisse, Kandinsky and Picasso and by contemporary artists including Francis Bacon, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol.

Hanwha’s move to turn 63 SQUARE into a Seoul art and cultural landmark coincides with Korea’s recent art frenzy, especially among the younger generations.

In September last year, two big international art fairs -- the annual Korean International Art Fair (KIAF) Seoul and the inaugural Frieze Seoul  -- together opened in Seoul, participated in by a total of 350 galleries from around the world.  

Frieze is a major international art fair, which has taken place in London, Los Angeles and New York before its debut in Seoul last year.

KIAF Seoul is the largest art event in Korea and posted a record high 65 million won in sales in 2021.

GENEROUS SPONSOR OF ARTS AND CULTURE

Hanwha hopes to stay at the forefront of the country’s thriving art scene with the new modern and contemporary art hub.

In partnership with the Centre Pompidou, the Korean conglomerate also plans to support overseas residencies for promising local artists and curators.

Hanwha has been active in fostering the country’s arts and culture. It has been the sole sponsor of the annual Orchestra Festival in Korea with the Seoul Arts Center since 2000.

It has been offering various quality classical music performances across the country through the Hanwha Classic series since 2013.  

The Korean chemicals-to-defense conglomerate is also a sponsor of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, which has been held every autumn since 2000.

The Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul will span five floors with multiple exhibition halls.

Internationally recognized architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who also joined in the interior design of the Louvre Museum, the British Museum and Incheon International Airport, will take part in designing Centre Pompidou’s Seoul center, said Hanwha.

Write to Mi-Sun Kang at misunny@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.