The Social Sciences Building, which has endured for half a century, will undergo the renovation process in earnest. It aims to be completely refurbished in 2028 amid expectations and concerns among members of Pusan National University (PNU).

A blueprint of the winning proposal for the Social Sciences Building design contest announced on October 16th was displayed in the lobby on the 1st floor of the Social Sciences Building. The contest was held in cooperation with the Division of Facilities Management in June to improve the aging of the Social Sciences Building, which was completed 45 years ago in 1979, and to secure convenient spaces for students. PNU will start construction in 2025 with the estimated construction cost of about 38 billion won, after selecting a construction company next year.

The construction will be entirely based on the winning entry of the contest. The winning entry, displayed on the 1st floor of the Social Sciences Building, shows the expansion of the Social Sciences Building, which is currently a five-storeyed building, to six-storeys, the rooftop garden, two basement floors, and the preservation library. As a result, the total floor area of the Social Sciences Building will increase from 8,050㎡ to 14,338㎡ after construction. While demolishing and constructing the new building, some spaces in Yewonjeong will also be absorbed into the site of the Social Sciences Building and renovated. According to the judging opinion report released by the Division of Facilities Management, the winning entry received positive reviews from judges for the reinterpretation of the existing Yewonjeong space.

The Social Sciences Building will improve aging and increase the integration of departments by renovating after demolishing the whole building. Most of the major classes in the College of Social Sciences, which were distributed between the Social Sciences Building and Seonghak Hall, are planned to be collected in one place by expanding the Social Sciences Building. A representative from the Division of Facilities Management stated, “It can be expected that the undergraduate departments of the College of Social Sciences, which had to be divided into several buildings, will be integrated, and will be more secure.” Lee Ji-Eun (Dept. of Political Science and Diplomacy, 23) said, “It seems that the renovation can solve the problem of the current Social Sciences Building, which lacks space to study compared to other buildings.”

The renovation is also considered the only solution to the current problem of book saturation in the PNU library (reported by “Channel PNU” on November 9th, 2023). The idea is to set up a preservation library of about 2,047㎡ in the basement of the Social Sciences Building and move about 300,000 books facing disposal due to saturation. A representative from the Division of Facilities Management said, “The existing preservation library in the basement of the library will be relocated to the new Social Sciences Building to make wider use of the library space.”

The blueprint also reflected the opinions of the College of Social Sciences students. PNU said it contains the results of the “Social Sciences Building Renovation Survey” conducted earlier this year by the 39th College of Social Sciences Students’ Association “Bukdoochilseong.” It reflects the students’ requirements, such as separating the student council room and installing an open lobby at the end of the corridor. Park Min-Ji (Dept. of Sociology, 22), vice president of the College of Social Sciences, said, “We will deliver survey-related information to the next year’s students’ association to reflect student opinions on issues that can be adjusted during the specific renovation process.”

However, students are concerned that there is no temporary space for the College of Social Sciences students to use during the renovation period. A representative from the Administration Office of the College of Social Sciences stated, “There is no specific set-up for students to move to any building, but some will move to a new IT building.” Bae Jin-Woong (Dept. of Public Administration, 21) said, “I hope PNU will actively notify students and faculty about the classes to be held in other buildings during the construction period.”

It is still unknown whether the currently announced renovation schedule will proceed as it is. PNU plans to select a construction company in 2024, start construction in 2025, complete it in 2027, and open and allow departments to move into it in 2028. However, the Division of Facilities Management said, “The plan can be revised while constructing due to variables such as budget reflection and provision of temporary space for students.”

Reporter Choi Yun-Hui

Translated by Kim Tae-Yi