An oil tank is transformed into a ‘cultural tank’ filled with exhibitions and performances.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Dong-kyung = At the foot of Maebongsan Mountain facing the Seoul World Cup Stadium, six huge cylindrical structures sit as if buried in the mountain.
These structures were once first-class security facilities that no Seoul citizen knew existed. It was an oil storage base, or oil tank, built in 1979 by drilling into the rock on the southern slope of Maebongsan Mountain.
That oil tank has now become a ‘cultural tank’. The place where oil was stored became a ‘cultural oil reserve base’. Instead of oil, it was reborn as a space filled with exhibitions, performances, and people's stories.
◇ From a security facility to a symbol of urban regeneration
The beginning of the Cultural Reserve Base was the 1973 Middle East War. The government, which experienced a crude oil supply crisis, built an oil tank in 1979. The storage capacity is 69.07 million liters. It was enough for a Seoul citizen to use for about a month.
After carving out the bedrock, a tank was placed inside and surrounded by a concrete retaining wall. The purpose was concealment and protection in case of emergency.
Public access was strictly controlled for 40 years after completion. Even nearby residents had no idea what was beyond the mountain.
◇ The opportunity for transformation was the World Cup
The turning point was the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. For safety reasons, it was closed ahead of the World Cup and the oil was moved to Yongin.
The fate of the site, which had been neglected for over 10 years, was reborn through a citizen idea contest in 2013. A clear direction, 'from oil to culture', was established at that time, and after four years of regeneration work, the Cultural Reserve Base was opened in September 2017.
Instead of tearing down the entire tank, the original shape and traces were preserved with minimal modification, and the remaining forest on the site was preserved as much as possible and flowers and trees were added to create a park.
◇ T1, dismantled tank into glass space
The first place you see when entering the Cultural Reserve Base is the T0 Culture Plaza. It is usually a resting place for citizens, but it takes on a completely different look whenever large-scale performances and markets are held.
The tanks you will encounter after passing through the square have a diameter of 15 to 35 m and a height of 13 to 15 m. The T1 pavilion, which stored gasoline, had its steel tank dismantled and a glass wall and roof installed. Beyond the transparent glass wall, the rock of Maebongsan Mountain, which has surrounded the tank for over 40 years, unfolds before your eyes like a living room.
The 1.5m gap between the retaining wall and the glass acts as a skylight that brings natural light into the basement floor. T1 is used as a multipurpose space where exhibitions, workshops, and performances are held. There is a picture of an eagle painted on the glass wall to prevent birds from hitting it.
◇ T2, a concert hall with an empty tank
While T1 removed the existing tank and created a sense of openness through glass, T2, which contained diesel fuel, created a new space by emptying the tank. The top of the tank was left wide open to the sky without a roof.
The rock wall of Maebongsan Mountain and the concrete retaining wall surrounding the tank act as a natural sound box, making the sky, wind, and mountain become part of the performance.
The lower part of the tank is set up as an indoor performance hall and can be used regardless of season and weather. On the outdoor stage, the retaining wall that covered the tank stands majestically as the rear wall of the stage. An acoustic rock festival, Tesla Cybertruck launch show, and Prada fashion show were also held on this stage.
The glass building on the mountain behind T2 once housed a luxurious mansion belonging to a famous celebrity.
◇ T3, preserved in its original form
T3, designated as a Seoul Future Cultural Heritage, is the only tank that retains its original form from the time of oil storage. Even though entry into the interior is restricted, it is the place that leaves the deepest impression.
The rusty surface of the tank and the thick retaining wall visible through the locked iron gate clearly convey the tension of that time. It seems to testify to where the Cultural Reserve Base came from.
All equipment, including the steel stairs that went up and down the tank, the measuring instrument that measures the amount of oil, and the pipeline, are left unaltered. Inside the iron door, a transparent plastic board with the words ‘Memory Information Board’ written on it stands out.
At that time, tank managers who walked up and down the narrow stairs every day wondered, “How slippery the steps will be when it snows in winter.” However, it is an oil tank and cannot be melted by fire. There are articles written that reveal the worried feelings, such as, "If an accident happens, you'll be in big trouble."
◇ T4, the mystery of the sealed interior
T4, the largest tank used to store kerosene, had no windows and was kept inside a sealed tank. The echo phenomenon, in which sound is reflected for as long as 7 seconds, is presented as a spatial characteristic rather than a shortcoming of the building. Inside, there are 21 pillars supporting the heavy roof. It feels like you are inside a huge musical instrument.
Make an ‘ah~’ sound and measure the time. The sound really rings for 7 seconds. A fashion show is staged with a runway between the pillars, and it is also used as a classical performance hall using echo. It is a complex cultural space. A paulownia tree is growing through the cracks between the retaining walls, showing off its tenacious vitality.
◇ T5, an exhibition room where narratives are condensed
By taking a walk around the round exhibition hall of the T5 Story Hall, you can follow the big and small stories of how an oil reserve base became a cultural tank. Actual materials such as helmets and work uniforms used by management staff at the time are on display.
Part of the tank's steel wall was boldly cut away to allow the exhibition to be viewed by going back and forth between the inside and outside of the tank. Last April to July, the official digital exhibition 'Splendid Hermitage' of the Russian Hermitage Museum, one of the world's top three museums, was held for the first time in Korea at T4 and T5.
◇ T6, rebirth of a lost tank
T6 Community Center is the only newly built building. The rough, rusty steel plates surrounding the outer and inner walls came from the dismantling of T1 and T2. The body of the missing tank became the outer shell of the new building. It is a structure that most directly demonstrates the theme of this space, which is regeneration.
There is a creative lab, lecture room, conference room, and cafeteria, and if you go up to the second floor, a rooftop deck where you can look up at the sky awaits you. Children can come and observe stars at night on the rooftop, which is open to the public for free.
◇ Cultural Reserve Base, its paradoxical transformation
The tank that was hiding the oil is leaving its door wide open for people. The place where you hide something is now a place where you share everything. That paradoxical transition is likely to be the biggest reason that differentiates the Cultural Reserve Base from other cultural spaces in Seoul. This is also the reason why it is considered a symbolic success model among domestic urban regeneration cases.
※ This article can also be found in the October 2026 issue of the monthly ‘Yonhap Imagine’ published by Yonhap News.
