In celebration of its 50th anniversary, The Hyundai Department Store Group opened its largest store in Seoul. The Hyundai Seoul is part of a mixed-use complex combining business, shopping, and leisure in a single destination. The client’s intent was to shape history by redefining the future of retail. The vision was to merge grand architecture, innovative and visually stimulating contemporary design, technology and inspire and contribute to social value by providing memorable experiences for its customers.

BURDIFILEK was commissioned to design three floors including the Zen-like atrium. The architecture presented plenty of opportunities with its expansive floor plates and multiple voids. The designers rose to the occasion by conceptualizing a green belt that would wrap around the spaces and provide continuity to an overall theme of well-being and tranquility. Inspirations came from the grand piazzas and Seoul’s abundant surrounding nature.

The philosophy was to bring the outside in by conceptualizing environments on each floor that would speak to a specific demographic with a completely different point of view while evoking nature in various ways. The commonality was created by referencing nature through materiality and sculptural elements, giving a physical experience of wondering and exploring as if walking through a sculptural garden.

The journey starts with an auditory sensation of a cascading waterfall. BURDIFILEK designed a gravity-defying 12-meter-tall sculptural waterfall. Standing prominently in the main atrium, the sculptural waterfall features floating islands with greenery and seatings extending from its fluid forms. The concept of nature is carried forward with reflective borders that mimic tranquil water patterns along the ceiling edges, creating the effect of glancing up at a reflecting pond. The overall feeling is of tranquility and peace, and a great respite after a shopping spree.

The second floor is home to women’s high-end fashion defined by timeless, luxury elegance. Anchored by iconic forms, with an emphasis on textures and sculptural tonality, this floor offers a gallery-like atmosphere. The use of gentle indirect lighting accentuates fluid forms on the ceiling to radiate an ethereal quality. Custom hanging fixtures with refined detail elevate the feeling of lightness. A combination of a subtle color palette, matte textured finishes with layers of reflectivity, and translucency further boots the ambiance.

In contrast, on the third floor, the mood changes up and invites guests to another world. Expanding on the sculptural garden, this level takes on a more futuristic approach. The commonality is kept through sculptural elements but expressed in bolder form. Shocking deep blue hanging systems, aggressive materiality with emphasis on the contrasts of natural and man-made materials, unfinished ceiling, metallic vacuum-formed sculptural walls, reflectivity, and a pop of color all set the tone to the Blade Runner-like feel and speaks more directly to the featured brands.

In this modern retail emporium, the world of art, high fashion, design, and nature collide to create a cultural experience, where the designers offered something unexpected through various programs and contrasting visual environments while creating a point of memory for its customers.