Be-Fore Installation Renovates Sihwa Industrial Wastewater Plant
a.co.lab has completed 'Be, Fore', a renovation of inactive areas at the Sihwa Industrial Complex wastewater treatment plant in Siheung-si, South Korea. The 1,218 m² project, led by architects Isak Chung and Jinpyo Hong with design team Jeongwoo Song, Jangwoo Bae, Youhwan Cho, and Heejeong You, was curated by Miwa Negoro. The municipality had planned a water-themed park for families, but the architects found the industrial site possessed unique urban qualities and preserved traces of its past. They argued that imposing a predefined program would lack practicality and ethics, instead opting for a renovation that respects the site's history. Photographs by Kyung Noh document the 2024 project.
Key facts
- Project is a renovation of inactive areas at Sihwa Industrial Complex wastewater treatment plant
- Architecture firm a.co.lab led the project
- Principal architects: Isak Chung and Jinpyo Hong
- Design team: Jeongwoo Song, Jangwoo Bae, Youhwan Cho, Heejeong You
- Curated by Miwa Negoro
- Project area: 1,218 m²
- Year: 2024
- Photographer: Kyung Noh
- Location: Siheung-si, South Korea
- Category: Cultural Architecture
- Municipality had planned a water-themed park but architects chose renovation
- Architects felt a predefined program would lack practicality and ethics
Entities
Artists
- Miwa Negoro
- Isak Chung
- Jinpyo Hong
- Jeongwoo Song
- Jangwoo Bae
- Youhwan Cho
- Heejeong You
- Kyung Noh
Institutions
- a.co.lab
- Sihwa Industrial Complex
Locations
- Siheung-si
- South Korea
- Sihwa Industrial Complex