The Galleria, South Korea’s oldest department store franchise, has recently opened a new store in one of the country’s newest towns, Gwanggyo.
The building, Galleria’s sixth branch, has a very unique design to say the least. The facade combines multifaceted glass that appears to be breaking out from within opaque stone, as if the building was shedding its old skin and revealing the new.
See Also: Cathedral design is inspired by a Bishop’s headpiece
Appearing as sculpted stone emerging from the ground, the store is meant as a visual anchor in the city. A public route is excavated from the stone volume and connects the public sidewalk to a roof garden that includes retail and cultural activities. The glass, meanwhile, reveals the retail and cultural activities happening inside to passers-by. For those inside, the glass creates new vantage points to experience Gwanggyo. The public loop is formed with a sequence of cascading terraces and offers spaces for exhibitions and performances.
Eight unique departments are spread across the building’s 12 floors:
Floor one - Boutique & Jewelry
Floor two - Prestige Boutique
Floor three and four - Women’s Fashion
Floor five - Men’s Fashion
Floor six - Kids & Family + Mega Shop
Floor seven and eight - Sport & Leisure, Home & Living
Floor nine - Dining
Floor ten and eleven - Cinema
Floor 12 - Lounge & Academy
The project, which has been completed, was led by OMA partner Chris van Duijn.
Related Stories
Retail Centers | Jun 17, 2020
New cannabis dispensary under construction in Northbrook, Ill.
The project will be a national flagship location for Greenhouse.
Modular Building | May 22, 2020
‘Cargotecture’ is coming to North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park
Boxyard RTP, made from 38 shipping containers, will serve as a community gathering and social space.
Coronavirus | Apr 13, 2020
COVID-19 alert: City conducts a 'virtual building inspection' to allow Starbucks and bank to open
Bothell, Wash., issues a certificate of occupancy to developer after inspecting the property online.
Retail Centers | Feb 28, 2020
Eat with the Peanuts Gang in this new experiential cafe concept
The McBride Company partnered with Peanuts Worldwide LLC to design the concept.
Retail Centers | Jan 30, 2020
An all-glass roof hovers above a refurbished shopping mall in Montreal
This $200 million project provided the installer, Seele, with some valuable lessons learned working with large panels in colder weather.
Retail Centers | Jan 21, 2020
New Vienna IKEA will include green façades and no parking
The building will include 160 newly planted trees.
Retail Centers | Dec 16, 2019
KFC opens urban prototype in the Bronx
FRCH NELSON designed the project.
Retail Centers | Nov 13, 2019
World’s first drive-thru only restaurant in Australia
FRCH NELSON designed the project.
Giants 400 | Oct 24, 2019
Top 70 Retail Engineering Firms for 2019
Jacobs, Kimley-Horn, Henderson Engineers, and Core States Group head the rankings of the nation's largest retail sector engineering and engineering architecture (EA) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 24, 2019
Top 125 Retail Architecture Firms for 2019
CallisonRTKL, Gensler, MG2, NELSON, and Stantec top the rankings of the nation's largest retail sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.