Following the demolition of the former front gate from December 25 to 28, 2025, construction of the new front gate and improvements to the surrounding environment are currently underway. The ongoing project has been divided into two stages. The first stage focused on Hyanghak-ro, which was closed from April 14 to May 30, and the west side of the parking lot in front of Dasan Hall, which was closed from April 23 to May 30. In addition, the west area of the parking lot in front of Dasan Hall has been closed from April 23 to May 30. The second stage is the front gate area, which is scheduled to be blocked off from May 2026 to October 2026. As the construction has progressed, a more concrete blueprint of the new campus is taking its shape.

The Blueprint of the New Campus

The redesigned campus will be organized around three axes: a pedestrian axis that connects the separated walking spaces; a historical axis that links Dasan Hall with new facilities; and a psychological axis that forms a gradual transition between spaces while maintaining clear boundaries between areas. These three axes converge at the main gate square. Another notable feature of the new layout is the grass square in front of Dasan Hall. In the blueprint, the grass square will be used as a communication space for the university members. In interviews with the Korean press, Kim Min Hyung, an officer from the Division of Facilities Management, explained that the place where the new grass square will be built is already dense with excellent foliage, so the construction is proceeding with the preservation of the original topography and trees as a priority. There will be an outdoor stage and rest spaces in the grass square.

Overall, the project intends to create a place that can present SeoulTech’s identity and be more pedestrian-friendly compared to the previous vehicle-centered environment.

When requested to say a word to university members, Kim said, “I sincerely appreciate SeoulTech members, who have shown great understanding despite the inconvenience of noise and passage restrictions. The front gate improvement construction is a project that establishes SeoulTech’s future vision and identity, while also building a safe and walkable campus. After the construction, the area will not just be a passage but SeoulTech’s new landmark that all of us can take pride in. I carefully ask you to wait a little longer, and we will repay you with wonderful results.” Institutes With Plaza-Style Gates

SeoulTech will be one of a number of universities that have redesigned their main gate areas to create more open and pedestrian-friendly spaces.

For example, at Seoul National University (SNU), there once was an asphalt road used by vehicles under the main gate, commonly called the ‘Sha’ sculpture. This created safety problems for pedestrians. To solve this problem, SNU diverted the road and reconstructed the area beneath the gate into a stone-paved pedestrian-only space.

Seo Hyun, Professor of Department of Architecture & Architectural Enginnering at SNU and Chief Designer of the SNU Plaza Project, said, “In the past, the main gate was a huge passage for vehicles. Now this place has become a plaza where people stay, no longer a place that vehicles dominate.” Ewha Womans University is one of the leading examples in Korea of an innovative redesign of a university main gate and its surrounding approach. The space inside the main gate, once congested with both vehicle and pedestrian traffic, has been moved underground and redeveloped as a spacious plaza.

Upon entering the main gate, instead of a huge sports field, visitors are greeted by a pedestrian-centered valley and a lush green ground-level plaza.

Many universities pursue open-style gates to remove the boundary between the university and the local community and to reflect the academic values of being horizontal and open. Rather than relying on giant structures, plazas create a more welcoming, inclusive and green environment for students to relax and interact.

Reflecting the core principle of modern urban planning, that a plaza is not merely an empty space but the heart of a community where culture is born, SeoulTech’s new layout is expected to become a free and peaceful field of communication.

Reporter

Seongbeom Hong

hongsb@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 홍성범

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• e-mail : hongsb@seoultech.ac.kr