New York architects, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), have won a design competition for a cultural centre in Ilsan, situated in north-western Seoul, South Korea.

The 54,000sq m design and build project, to be constructed by Samsung Construction, will include a 2000-seat opera house, 1500-seat concert hall, 'experimental' theatre, museum, library and sports centre.

Perceived as an expression of culture, KPF describes the Ilsan Cultural Centre as 'a kind of urban artform, its design drawing from logical rhythmical and compositional imagery.'

The site borders a natural wooded area and the civic centre of the city. The area is anchored by four streets, which KPF says creates a strong impression of the effect of art and culture on the urban environment. A transparent glass wall will divide the inner spaces of the complex and will act as a backdrop to the central plaza.

Construction is scheduled to begin this autumn.