Galleria Department Store, Seoul

Illuminated Skin

The Galleria retail center has undergone a makeover to better reflect the glamour of its merchandise. After a year-long renovation by UNStudio in collaboration with Arup Lighting, the retail complex now dazzles customers with a luminous cloak of color-changing glass disks unfolding into the brightened interior landscape.
– Client: Hanwha Stores Co., LTD
– Location: Hanwha Stores Co., Ltd. / 515, Apgujung-dong / Kangnam-ku / Seoul 135-110 / Korea
– Context: Corner site next to the main traffic area
– Architecture (facade, interior): UNStudio, Amsterdam/ Shanghai/ Hongkong
– Lighting Designer: Arup Lighting
– Building area: Façade 3.278 m², interior 21.986 m²
– Programme: Façade design, refurbishment of interior, design of interior furniture
– Opening: December 2004
– Media facade type: autoACTIVE; Type of Lighting: Glass Disc
– Project website: http://www.unstudio.com/projects/galleria-department-store
The Galleria Department Store project had two main goals. The first was a new façade that projects a lively, ever changing surface. In total 4330 glass discs are mounted on the existing concrete skin of the building. The glass discs include special dicroic foil generating a mother-of-pearl effect during the day, whilst during the night each glass disc is lit by LED lights which are able to be programmed to create a multitude of effects.
The second goal was the renovation of the interior into a luxurious integrated design. Inspired by the catwalk the customer finds himself immersed in the world of fashion while moving through the generous corridors. The interior design focuses on the elimination of superfluous details and introduces two new integrated Big Details; the escalator which becomes a moving event space, and the ceiling lighting which becomes a device providing a fluent directionality and dynamics to the shop floors. For the main circulation corridors (catwalks) the lighting is integrated within the dropped ceiling. The illumination of the corridor is designed as a continuous lighting element in the form of linear rails which follow the directions of the pathways below.
Source: http://www.unstudio.com/projects/galleria-department-store
[flickr_set id=»72157640176652095″]