According to a census conducted in 1789 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), Suncheon was the second most populous city in Jeollanam-do Province after Naju. Since the construction of Suncheon Station in 1930, Suncheon began to grow rapidly as an important railway city. Until the early 2000s, the railway bureau in charge of Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do was located within Suncheon Station, where the Jeolla Line and Gyeongjeon Line intersect. Today the station is home to the Jeollanam-do branch of the Korea Railroad Corporation, which has jurisdiction over Jeollanam-do Province. As such, Suncheon was a vital transportation hub, and it naturally played a major role in logistics distribution.
This is how the Korean Statistical Information Service of the 1960s and Nonghyup Logistics Service of the 1990s came to be built near Suncheon Station. They were constructed on a fairly large scale because they were warehouses where local produce was kept and where the government and agricultural cooperative stored grain purchased in the summer and fall to stabilize prices. However, as the expressways and highways expanded nationwide, rail transportation gradually declined, and as buildings around the station deteriorated and the commercial district moved to downtown areas, the Suncheon of the early 2010s began to show signs of hollowing out.
In dealing with such problems, Suncheon began in the mid-2010s to plan and promote urban renewal projects led by local residents with the aid of field experts, resident surveys of Social Overhead Capital, and citizen meetings. Nonghyup Logistics warehouse, located 500 meters from Suncheon Station, also played a part in the urban renewal project.
The Nonghyup warehouse, which was used as a grain storage facility for 20 years since 1993, lost its economic feasibility along with its geographical advantage of being located near Suncheon Station. Through the urban renewal project, it was reborn as “Brew Works,” a cultural complex that gave new life to the unique characteristics of its original warehouse design.
Brew Works utilizes the history of the old grain warehouse and its huge space in rendering an experience for visitors with a deep nostalgia for the past. Being a storage facility, there are no unnecessary pillars taking up space, and the very high ceiling makes the space feel as though being outdoors. The steam engine on the wall is reminiscent of the modern industrialization era, and the cogwheels rotate and emit steam and sound at designated times. The conveyor belt that used to carry bags of grain retains its old form but is now used as a table. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee while thinking back on the busy old warehouse.
Through the efforts of the city of Suncheon and its residents, the once deserted and silent warehouse was reborn as a cultural complex visited by 10,000 people every week. It has become a place that brings joy and laughter to many, and at the same time greatly reclaiming the vivacious atmosphere of the old Suncheon Station.
TIP: The UNESCO-designated Suncheonman Wetland, and the Suncheonman National Garden, which features beautiful gardens of the world are located nearby.
Address 61 Yeokjeon-gil, Suncheon-si, Jeollanam-do
Tel 061-745-2545
➞ 10-minute walk from KTX Suncheon Station
Time 10:00–22:00
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