OMA-Designed Galleria Department Store Completes in South Korea

Department store Galleria, designed by OMA / Chris van Duijn, has opened in Gwanggyo, a new town just south of Seoul. Located at the center of this young urban development surrounded by tall residential towers, the Galleria’s stone-like appearance makes it a natural point of gravity for public life in Gwanggyo.

Architect: OMA
Client: Hanwha Galleria
Location: Gwanggyo, Korea
Year: 2016 - 2020
Above Ground: 73,721m2
Below Ground: 63,492m2 
Partner in Charge: Chris van Duijn
Associate: Ravi Kamisetti
Project leader: Patrizia Zobernig
Concept phase: Mark Bavoso, Alan Lau, James Lee, Slobodan Radoman, Tianyu Su, John Thurtle
Schematic design: Mark Bavoso, James Lee, John Thurtle
Design development: Ikki Kondo, James Lee, Daan Ooievaar, Slobodan Radoman, John Thurtle
Interior Design: Nils Axen, Simon Bastien, Tommaso Bernabo, Minjung Cho, Felicia Gambino, Nicola Ho, Meng Huang, Zhenke Jin, Richard Leung, Ioana Pricop, Junsik Oh, Calvin Yue
Photography: Hong Sung Jun for OMA

From the architect: The Galleria is Korea’s first and largest upscale department store franchise founded in the 1970s, and has remained at the forefront of the premium retail market in the country since then. The store in Gwanggyo—a new town just south of Seoul—is the sixth branch of Galleria. Located at the center of this young urban development surrounded by tall residential towers, the Galleria’s stone-like appearance makes it a natural point of gravity for public life in Gwanggyo.

The store is located between the Suwon Gwanggyo Lake Park and ubiquitous buildings in the city: an intersection between nature and the urban environment. The store has a textured mosaic stone façade that evokes nature of the neighbouring park. Appearing as a sculpted stone emerging from the ground, the store is a visual anchor in the city.

The public route has a multifaceted glass façade that contrasts with the opacity of the stone. Through the glass, retail and cultural activities inside are revealed to the city’s passers-by, while visitors in the interior acquire new vantage points to experience Gwanggyo. Formed with a sequence of cascading terraces, the public loop offers spaces for exhibitions and performances.

A place where retail and culture, city and nature collide, Galleria in Gwanggyo offers a get away from the predictability of shopping.

COLLABORATORS
Executive Architect: Gansam
Contractor: Hanwha Engineering&Construction corp.
Facade Consultant: VS-A
Curtain wall consultant (smart node): Withworks
Model Maker: Edelsmid Emile Estourgie with Yasuhito Hirose and Made by Mistake, RJ Models
Model Photographer: Frans Parthesius 

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