A cradle for the talents of basic science academics is reborn.

Opening ceremony held for the remodeling of the lobbies in the College of Science Asan Hall.

On Thursday, September 7, Korea University held a ceremony in the College of Science Asan Hall to mark the opening of the hall’s remodeled lobbies.

Korea University College of Science Asan Hall was established in November 1996 with donations by the late Hyundai Group Chairman, Chung Ju-Yung. In 2012, a first round of remodeling replaced the exterior walls with granite stone and double-paned windows.

While the 2012 remodeling focused on the exterior, the current remodeling, which was begun last year, aims to expand the interior space, especially resting and studying areas for students.

Following the College of Science’s tradition of being a leader, domestically and internationally, in basic science research and education, the remodeling used eco-friendly birch as its main material. The key design concept for the remodeling, “To Be Nature”, was intended to make the building users feel comfortable and proud. The creative space for students to rest and study was greatly expanded, and a College of Science history hall and a wall honoring donors to the project were included in the first floor lobby.

As the space representing the College of Science, the first floor lobby contains a media wall describing the fusion of the fields of basic and cutting-edge science, as well as a lounge for visitors and benches for students to rest on.

The group study rooms and carrels were extensively expanded on floors 2 to 4 to encourage creative self-motivated learning. Design, function, and image were used to better motivate students to perform their studies in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and earth sciences that make up the College of Science.

Additionally, lounges were installed in bathrooms on each floor to respect individual privacy, and powder rooms were installed in the women’s bathrooms for the female students. Notably, front rooms were also installed in the large lecture rooms on each floor to enhance the lecture experience.

Chancellor Jaeho Yeom participated in the remodeling opening ceremony and emphasized that college campuses must transform from a functional to a creative nature by stating, “The lecture rooms of twenty-first century campuses are not spaces that just simply relay knowledge to have it memorized and consumed but must continuously grow to become creative places where knowledge is produced and distributed through the network of professors, graduate students and college students meeting each other to discuss and debate.” Furthermore, he expressed his anticipation by saying, “Facing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a major transformational period in civilization, it is my hope that the College of Science faculty and students amass the knowledge for leading the future of basic science by creating and fusing new knowledge within Asan Hall.”