This competition is an architectural design competition for the realization of the Gosan Library in Suseong-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City Library which is expected to start construction in 2013. The purpose of the competition is to seek a wide range of ideas from experts from both Korea and overseas along with student groups in order to build a sustainable public library that can accommodate the recent changes in various knowledge transmission media as well as changes in library user demographics. This is in keeping with Daegu Metropolitan City’s new policy direction, which the city is aiming toward, of becoming a knowledge based economy from its past as a distribution based city. We expect that it will develop the quality of the small-scale community for local residents who are based in the regional community of Daegu, and ultimately we hope that through this, prospective discussion on the nature of building local community public libraries in Korea will have the chance to grow.

Recent discussions on the diverse architectural aims for public libraries is becoming a big issue in Korea and the international community, and the cause seems to lie largely in the change of social and cultural environments and change in library knowledge transmission systems. As for the social and cultural environment, there has been an increase in the importance of knowledge information as a source of national competitiveness which is a knowledge- based society, as well as the rise in the library’s role for developing creativity. In addition, there has been a rise in the need for life-long education to fit each stage of the life-cycle according to the changing social structure. Already, in the international world, knowledge and information are the main factors which determine an individual’s quality of life as well as national competitiveness, and it cannot be denied that compared to such international currents the quality standard of Korean knowledge information is lacking. In addition, the role of the library which laid stress on ‘possession’ in the past, is now functioning as yet another field of research/education for cultivating talents for those who are equipped with creativity and integral thinking ability, and it’s role is expanding. In particular, because society is aging, becoming multicultural, and people have more time on their hands for leisurely activities, the desire for culture and refinement-related self-improvement and life-long education is growing. Also, the role of the library is expanding as a local community space in order to cultivate mature civil society and form local community bonds. If we take a closer look at the change in the library’s knowledge transmission system, the library is changing into an intelligent library, according to the development of digital information technology and increase of information media. Also, cooperative library services are increasing through networking, while the knowledge information gap between people is rising due to unequal information access. The rapidly increasing change in the library environment, such as material being altered into digital material for knowledge information as well as accelerated speed in integration and expanding in new IT based user services, has incurred development of digital information technology and increased in information media. The trait of a ubiquitous computing information space that is open/interactive, is able to overcome the physical and time-wise limitations that a library used to have. Thus, the library is able to evolve into an intelligent library. Therefore, the library supersedes the media storage methods of the past and can change a space into an hybrid environment, possessing u-information resources, searching through u-media, and a u-platform based space.

Like so, the concept of the library as a stocking place has changed from the idea of “possessing” to those of “access” and “sharing,” while inter-cooperative library services are increasing thanks to the expansion of library cooperative networks. This kind of information environment change has induced issues such as social inequality of information and information marginalization, and have become a lowering factor in social integration. Therefore, attempts to ease the gap for information access and also the gap between information use is increasing. Based on such definitive/environmental factors of change for libraries, public libraries must share and expand their digital based information services and knowledge information, strengthen accessibility in the future. Also, building a library policy is crucial to build the public library’s role as a local community through networking must be reinforced as well as secure competitiveness for cultural, social, educational, and economical fields.

Eligibility

- All registered architects and multidisciplinary teams led by an architect around the world. – All students of architecture around the world.

- Although there is no limit to the number of team members in a team, duplicate registration is not allowed.

- If participating as a team, each team must appoint a representative.

- In order to ensure fairness in the competition, anyone who is a member of or is directly in association to the competition (e.g. hosts, judges, competition process committee, or advisory committee) cannot apply. 1.6 Registration

- Registration period: From May 31, 2012 to July 30, 2012

- Registration procedure:

1. After completing the participation registration form, send by e-mail to competition@dacb.kr

2. Participation fee is sent through wire transfer.

3. Organizer sends registration confirmation e-mail.

- Registration fee: USD $80 (KRW \90,000) Bank charges will be paid by the participant.

- Bank Account Information:

Account holder : Daegu Architectural Culture Confederation (DACC) Bank name : Hana Bank Dongdaegu Branch Bank address : 2-1 Beomeo-dong, Suseong-gu, Dague, South Korea Bank Phone number : +82 53 743 1111 Account number : 515-910002-05332 International code (SWIFT CODE) : HNBNKRSE

Prizes

1. Place: USD $30,000

2. Place USD $10,000

3. Place USD $5,000