LG Arts Center Seoul’s new building is seen in this photo provided by the center.
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — LG Arts Center Seoul, one of the leading art theaters in the capital city, is set to officially open in western Seoul this week after relocation, offering performances of world-class classic artists and art and architecture tours.
After 22 years of operation in the affluent Gangnam district in southern Seoul, the facility was relocated to a building designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Ando Tadao in Magok-dong near the sprawling LG Science Park.
The location is also close to Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul.
The new arts center officially opens Thursday evening with Korean pianist Cho Sung-jin’s performance with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of famed director Simon Rattle.
Cho will play Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 with the orchestra. The tickets were sold out shortly after their opening on Sept. 1.
The new building has two theaters — a 1,335-seat multipurpose hall and a black box with 365 seats — as well as two rehearsal rooms and three function rooms.
Yonam Foundation, LG Group’s nonprofit organization, has invested 250 billion won ($174.3 million) in the four-story complex since construction began in October 2017.
A concert hall of LG Arts Center Seoul is seen in this photo provided by the center.
Free audio tours will be available via QR codes connected to major spaces of the building that features Tadao’s signature concrete walls and pillars.
Korean actor Park Hae-soo, known for his roles in Netflix’s series “Squid Game” (2021) and “Narco-Saints” (2022), narrates the audio guides.
Tadao’s sketches and architectural models as well as a documentary of its building process will be on display for visitors interested in the architecture.
The Dutch art and design house Studio Drift’s installations “Meadow” and London-based Studio Swine’s “Fog Cannon” are among the highlights of the artworks at the building.
“LG Arts Center Seoul aims to become a new cultural, arts landmark where arts, science, nature and people exchange and performance arts and various cultures coexist,” LG Arts Center’s new CEO Lee Hyun-jung said.
(Yonhap)
