The Hyundai department store in the heart of Daegu, South Korea‘s third biggest city, first opened in 1978 and has since seen several transformations. Its latest, designed by Seoul-based architecture practice Betwin Space, sees the creation of its so-called U-PLEX floor, a separate in-house department store targeting a young, largely teen demographic which is also present at a select number of other department stores nationwide. This floor features comes with settings that tap right into their sensibilities. Situated on level B2, the space measures a whopping 6,178 sqm. (66,499 sq.ft.) and is divided into five shopping zones, each with a distinct design and colour palette, and all anchored by two atrium spaces. As said, The Hyundai‘s U-PLEX floor targets a savvy young generation, and the Hyper Future area does just that. Infused with nifty hi-tech, it’s a new space that’s based on the virtual Meta platform, featuring not only appealing sensory elements, such as texture, light, and colour, but also allowing shoppers to interact.

Mind you, there’s even a DJ booth. The Colour Zone boasts is surrounded by various shades of blue, distinctly demarcating its periphery, but resurfacing at its core, dubbed the Base Zone, once again signalling a transition. In the following section, called the Texture Zone, wood and other natural materials dominate and make up a monochrome setting. Next are two areas void of colour and where black and white prevale the Light Black Zone and the Light White Zone, respectively captured by black and white marble, and all-bearing surface lighting. The chosen aesthetic intentionally steers clear from the traditional department store aesthetic, lending each section an identity of it sown through a forward design vocabulary that’s reinforced by the use of digital screens and digital signage, and all to deliver a more tantalising shopping for young shoppers. The Hyundai‘s new U-PLEX floor carries a wide range of young brands from home and abroad, including thisisneverthat, Calvin Klein Jeans, 29CM, Marithé & François Girbaud, Matin Kim and Converse.