The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched a new architectural competition centred around culture and heritage at the heart of the 600-year-old South Korean capital’s city centre.

The international contest asks entrants to develop a comprehensive blueprint and masterplan for central Seoul and provide a creative design for the site of the former National Tax Service Building.

The new city centre will be a space that 'integrates cultural heritage, with contemporary urban spaces through the restoration of key historical locations within the area' and creating future uses for those spaces. The plan also calls for the formation of practical connections between the area’s underground spaces and creative plans for preserved structures and surrounding areas such as Deoksugung, Seoul City Hall, Seoul Plaza and Sejong-daero.

According to the tender: “Successful proposals must establish a new historic cultural venue where existing historic cultural heritages and contemporary urban space are integrated through restoration of historic value of the former National Tax Service building site, connections between the ground and the underground spaces and creative plan for preserved structures.”

Proposals must be submitted by 25 September 2015 with a prize of W100m (US$84,900, €76,900, £54,400) for the winner and a design fee of W923m (US$783,000, €709,000, £502,000).