Modern Architecture and Public Spaces that Shaped Sejong Administrative City

The new downtown of Sejong reveals its design intent through the connections between government buildings, libraries, archives, performance venues, and squares. The long curve of the rooftop garden at Government Sejong Office connects various ministries, while the streamlined facade of the National Sejong Library and the cubical shape of the Presidential Archives represent administration and records with different symbols. By expanding our view to Boreum-dong and Naseong-dong, we can compare how public architecture has integrated into the daily lives of citizens.

We have selected eight notable places, distinguishing between cultural facilities that allow internal viewing and administrative facilities focused on exteriors. The rooftop garden requires reservations, and the use of the lobby at Sejong Arts Center varies depending on performances, making access different than typical tourist attractions. By walking through the regions of Jeorin-dong and Boreum/Naseong and observing one aspect—such as curves, materials, or their connections to squares—the notion of an administrative city transforms into a concrete spatial experience.

At the end of your stroll through modern architecture, take a moment to reflect on the relationships buildings have with their surrounding spaces rather than just their appearances. The National Sejong Library faces the pedestrian path toward the lake, the Presidential Archives emphasize their independent symbolism, and the Urban Symbol Square creates space between commercial areas and cultural facilities. From the Milmaru Observation Deck, you can observe the connection of curves and axes that once appeared separate coming together as a coherent urban plan.

Since Government Sejong Office and Sejong Special Autonomous City Hall are active working offices, priority is given to security boundaries and citizen pathways. On days when internal viewings are not possible or during event breaks, feel free to only explore the exterior and open squares. Please do not block entrances for photography and utilize only lit walkways at night. If you observed how citizens walk, read, and enjoy performances rather than focusing solely on the size of the buildings, then it was a day well spent interpreting Sejong's public architecture.