Galleria in Gwanggyo

GALLERIA IN GWANGGYO

OMA

Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA

ARCHITECTS
OMA

LOCATION
Suwon, South Korea

AREA
137213 m²

ASSOCIATE
Ravi Kamisetti

YEAR
2020

PARTNER CHARGE
Chris van Duijn

CATEGORY
Gallery, Museum & Exhibition Interiors

SCHEMATIC DESIGN
Mark Bavoso, James Lee, John Thurtle

MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER
Frans Parthesius

EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT
Gansam

PHOTOGRAPHS
Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA

CONTRACTOR
Hanwha Engineering&Construction corp.

CURTAIN WALL CONSULTANT (SMART NODE)
Withworks

FACADE CONSULTANT
VS-A

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Ikki Kondo, James Lee, Daan Ooievaar, Slobodan Radoman, John Thurtle

PROJECT TEAM (CONCEPT PHASE)
Mark Bavoso, Alan Lau, James Lee, Slobodan Radoman, Tianyu Su, John Thurtle

MODEL MAKER
Edelsmid Emile Estourgie with Yasuhito Hirose and Made by Mistake, RJ Models

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

Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA

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.

Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA
Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA

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.

Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA
Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA

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.

Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA
Galleria in Gwanggyo
© Hong Sung Jun, courtesy of OMA

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


Galleria in Gwanggyo
Plans


Galleria in Gwanggyo
Concept


Galleria in Gwanggyo
Elevation


Galleria in Gwanggyo