Seoul City announced that the baseball stadium under construction in Guro District, southwestern Seoul, will now include a full dome.

Initial plans called for a dome or roof that would cover 25 percent - or possibly as much as half ­- of the stadium, which will be located in Gocheok-dong, Guro District. Construction began last month.

The city had wanted to build a domed stadium from the start but had to back down when the cost estimates exceeded the budget. Seoul City officials, though, said they worked with the Korea Baseball Organization to revisit the viability of building a full dome. They were motivated largely by the rising popularity and interest in baseball.

Officials now conclude that the estimated additional cost to build a full dome is reasonable.

The half-dome stadium would have cost an estimated 52.9 billion won ($40 million). The new plan will add an additional 30 billion won to 40 billion won to the price tag.

The altered plan also will take an extra year to complete, so the expected completion date has been moved back to September 2011.

The original number of seats was numbered at 20,203, but the revised plan will include a slightly increased number of seats.

The stadium primarily will be used for baseball games. But it also will host large-scale concerts and musicals, which will take advantage of the stadium’s state-of-the-art sound system.

The city is currently looking at three designs and will make a final decision at a later date.

While dome stadiums are no longer the popular choice in Major League Baseball, an enclosed stadium is needed during the monsoon season in Korea.

Those in Guro District will also benefit from the new plan: An enclosed stadium helps contain noise and bright lighting, cutting down on its impact in the community.


article date: April 16, 2009
By Jason Kim [jason@joongang.co.kr]