The new Galleria department store is located in the Gwanggyo, a developing urban district close to Seoul. The site is at an intersection between nature and city, situated between the Suwon Gwanggyo Lake Park with natural hills, forest and trekking routes and colorless and anonymous buildings. Drawing upon the locations rural scenery, the building evokes a sculpted stone, forming a visual anchor for the new downtown of Gwanggyo.
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At the forefront of the premium retail market in Korea since the nineties, the Gwanggyo Galleria continues Hanwha Galleria’s forward approach to retail, introducing public program throughout all levels of the department store, with retail facilities combined with leisure and culture.
The public program is articulated by an exposed loop, carved into the monolithic stone volume, which runs from the main entrance at the outdoor plaza to the roof, infiltrating the various areas of the building. The loop offers a new performance opportunity for the department store. A sequence of cascading terraces combine traditional retail with new experiences. The typical interior life of the department store is revealed to the city by this loop — a multifaceted glass sculpture — while also providing new vantage points onto the surrounding neighborhood. The loop invites the curiosity of the flaneur. As a unique encounter between retail, nature and public space it averts the predictability of shopping.
The building expresses natural layers of sediment, its figurative motif, a natural stone mosaic pattern, brings texture and color in contrast to the typical facades while blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings.
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PARTNER
Chis van Duijn
TEAM
CONCEPT PHASE
ASSOCIATE
Ravi Kamisetti
PROJECT LEADER
Patrizia Zobernig
Mark Bavoso
Alan Lau
James Lee
Slobodan Radoman
Tianyu Su
John Thurtle
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
ASSOCIATE
Ravi Kamisetti
PROJECT LEADER
Patrizia Zobernig
Mark Bavoso
James Lee
John Thurtle
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATE
Ravi Kamisetti
PROJECT LEADER
Patrizia Zobernig
Ikki Kondo
James Lee
Daan Ooievaar
Slobodan Radoman
EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT: Gansam
FACADE CONSULTANT: VS-A
MODEL MAKER: Edelsmid Emile Estourgie with Yasuhito Hirose and Made by Mistake, RJ Models
MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER: Frans Parthesius
RENDERINGS: Adisak Yavilas
