Dongchun Gymnasium

The Dongchun Gymnasium sits in the Jung-gu district. The history of the place is written in the concrete. Construction paused for a decade because the structure was not sound, before the doors finally opened in 2001. That delay is the reason the interior feels contained, almost compact, compared to the sprawling complexes built in the late nineties. The wooden floor covers the entire court, a surface that demands precision from any player who steps onto it. The seating rises in tiers around the perimeter, with the movable chairs tucked away when the venue hosts a concert or a championship final.

The Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus have called this floor home since the beginning. They carry the side through the long seasons, building a record of titles on the wood that replaced the cracked concrete of the original plan. The arena has also seen international volleyball matches and badminton championships, where the noise of the crowd bounces off the high ceiling. The scoreboard above the court is new, but the structure beneath it is older, holding the weight of the roof and the weight of the history.