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(Pohang = Yonhap News) Reporter Dae-seong Son = The Suhyup refrigerated warehouse that once transported ice has now been transformed into a cultural space where people can read books and enjoy exhibitions.
'Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969' next to Dongbinnae Port in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do is attracting attention as an example of urban regeneration that reinterprets industrial heritage as cultural heritage.
On the 9th, Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969 was located in Dongbin 1-ga, Buk-gu, Pohang.
A couple in their 30s who met here said, "I saw it in passing, but I didn't know if I could come in." "When I actually came in, I thought it was quite nice because I could sit like this and read a book."
Dongbin Cultural Warehouse is a complex cultural facility with various facilities such as an exhibition hall, rest area, video screening room, and book lounge.
On this day, the โNational Local Exchange Pop-up Exhibitionโ was being held in the exhibition hall on the first floor, displaying products made all over the country.
A variety of products, including props, T-shirts, dog food, apple drinks, desserts, and coffee, were displayed and attracted the attention of passers-by.
Videos were shown in the multipurpose hall, and locally made books and books about Pohang were on display in the event hall.
There were bean bags that looked like large bean bags placed here and there, and residents could be seen lying or sitting comfortably, reading books, or resting.
On the second floor, there was a coffee shop and book lounge with large windows overlooking the sea and port, so I could see people sitting by the window talking or sitting alone quietly.
What makes Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969 different from complex cultural facilities found in other regions is that it was remodeled from an old building that had no longer been used.
Moon Hye-jeong, head of the space design team at the Pohang Cultural Foundation, which operates this place, introduced, "Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969 is a representative example of the industrial heritage that was used as a frozen warehouse for the Fisheries Cooperatives being converted into cultural heritage."
Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969 was built in 1969, as you can guess just by hearing the name.
It was originally a refrigerated warehouse where the Pohang Fisheries Cooperative stored marine products or made and distributed ice.
Because it is adjacent to Dongbinnae Port, which is part of Pohang Old Port, there used to be a long line of fishing boats waiting to receive ice to distribute fresh seafood.
On the road between the refrigerated warehouse and the pier, there was a Songbing Bridge, a facility for transporting ice, and on the pier directly adjacent to the sea, there was an icebreaking tower that broke ice into small pieces and supplied it to fishing boats.
Until 2018, ice made in a refrigerated warehouse could be seen moving along the Songbing Bridge on the road here.
However, when the fisheries cooperative moved to build a new ice-making facility in nearby Songdo-dong in 2018, the frozen warehouse was discarded and remained empty.
Pohang City purchased a refrigerated warehouse in June 2019 to make it a core project of the urban regeneration New Deal project in the Pohang Port area.
Afterwards, remodeling began in March 2021 and was officially opened in December of last year.
Without hiding the history of operating as a refrigerated warehouse, the exterior Songbing Bridge and icebreaking tower were preserved, and some refrigeration equipment, piping, and old plaques were preserved inside.
Signs that were used when it was used as a frozen warehouse, such as 'Freezer No. 2' and 'No Entry for Officials Allowed' signs, are also left in place, creating a unique feeling.
The Pohang Cultural Foundation, which operates Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969, rents space for various events and prepares various exhibitions and performances to serve as a hub for local cultural and artistic activities.
Lee Sang-mo, CEO of the Foundation, said, "We will continue to secure killer content, build archives, and promote exhibition and creative support projects so that Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969 can establish itself as a convergence creative base in the future."
