Toronto-based interior design practice Burdifilek has designed a multi-level retail store for the Hyundai Department Store Group. 

Named The Hyundai Seoul, the new 9,552-square-metre space is the largest department store in South Korea’s capital city, Seoul. 

Burdifilek completed the retail landmark as part of a multi-use complex combining business, shopping, and leisure in a single destination.

The store, whose program scattered throughout 4 floors, is located at Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul, South Korea - Part of Hyundai Parc 1 mixed-use complex. 

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels and Fashion Accessories

Each floor is dedicated to a specific theme combining a customed material palette and sculptural and flowing lines, enhancing the ways of experiencing a retail store. 

As Burdifilek said, the Hyundai Seoul introduces a new concept in shopping environments while forging a history by redefining the future of retail. 

Design elements, varying inside, include abundant greenery, expansive floorplates, and a Waterfall Garden, all contributing to a memorable relaxed customer experiences set against a backdrop of avant-garde fashion and visually stimulating contemporary design elements.

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear

Tranquility by design

For the project, the studio was commissioned to design three floors of the department store, including the Zen-like ambiance of the atrium. 

The soothing elements of the atrium are visible from all levels of the department store, nourished by abundant natural light drawn in through a skylight extending through the core of the building. 

Leveraging the building’s unique architecture with multiple voids throughout, Burdifilek conceptualized a green belt that would wrap around the spaces and provide continuity to an overall theme of tranquility and well-being. 

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels and Fashion Accessories

Taking cues from the grand piazza, the green belt becomes a runway for everyday life activities from social interactions to art displays, pop-up stages and inspiring encounters.

One begins their journey with an auditory sensation of a cascading waterfall. A gravity defying 12-meter-tall sculptural waterfall stands prominently in the main atrium, surrounded by organically shaped floating islands. 

The calming Waterfall Garden cascades through dancing water features with seating extending from its fluid forms. 

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels and Fashion Accessories

The store is inspired by Seoul’s surrounding nature

The concept of nature is carried forward with reflective borders that mimic tranquil water patterns along the inner edges of the ceiling planes, creating the visual effect of glancing up at a reflecting pond.

"We were given a substantial piece of architecture with many atriums. Hyundai’s vision was to allocate 50 percent of this floor plate to create public spaces where people can socialize in a much more experiential environment than the typical mall experience has to offer," said Diego Burdi, Co-founder and Creative Director of Burdifilek. 

"At the end our solution was inspired by Seoul’s surrounding nature. We chose to bring the outside in and create something unexpected that plays with scale and as the green concept began to extend to the whole environment the building became softer and more conducive to those memorable experiences," Burdi added.

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels and Fashion Accessories

Interpreting a new language 

In conceptualizing the totality of each floor, Burdifilek drew upon its experience and expertise to perfect the details of each individual element to create a branded environment that is strengthened by the sum of its parts. 

From floors, to walls, ceilings, furnishings, fixtures, and materiality, each floor presents its own dialect of experiences and visual display elements, all tailored to the style of merchandise and the lifestyle trends of those most apt to shop there.

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Footwear and Accessories

An experiential palette 

The second introduces a Sculpture Garden and women's women’s high-end fashion with accessories and footwear are designed around the garden. It combines the products with elegance and timeless beauty. 

The space is enriched by iconic forms, with an emphasis on textures and sculptural tonality, while the floor offers a gallery-like space for one to meander and explore. 

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear; Detail of Reflective Ceiling and Hanging System

The interiors feature a gentle, indirect lighting that accentuates fluid forms on the ceiling to radiate an ethereal quality. 

Custom hanging fixtures with refined detail elevates the feeling of lightness while providing a cohesive language for curated brands to shine. A combination of a subdued color palette with layers of reflectivity and translucency further boosts the sophisticated atmosphere.

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels and Fashion Accessories

The third floor is shaped around the theme of Provocative Wilderness. In contrast, on the third floor, the designers swiftly change up the mood and invites one to another world. 

The interiors of the third floor expand on the concept of nature and the sculptural garden, this level takes on the abstract form of a blooming. 

This floor presents men and women's fashion accessories and eyewear with metallic surfaces and separate display pods. The yellow color exploding from time to time in between metallic pods draws attention to the products. 

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels and Fashion Accessories

While maintaining a degree of commonality with the second floor in terms of sculptural elements, this floor expresses them in bolder form, amidst a creative backdrop of shocking deep blue hanging systems, aggressive materiality with an emphasis on the contrast of natural and man-made materials, unfinished ceiling, custom built, vacuum-formed sculptural walls and a simple color palette that speaks more directly to the featured brands. 

In this modern retail emporium, the worlds of art, design and fashion collide to create a cultural experience that transcends beyond a mere shopping experience.

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels, Fashion Accessories and Eyewear

"Our philosophy was to create environments on each floor that would speak to a specific demographic, with a different design language while evoking nature in the spaces in various ways" said Diego Burdi. 

"We also strived to create some commonality through sculptural elements that will resonate with the guests and give a physical experience of wondering and exploring."

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels, Fashion Accessories and Eyewear

Perspectives 

In approaching this ambitious project, Burdifilek’s vision was to create a strong point of view that would be memorable for the end user. 

In veering away from global retail trends, the firm designed the floors of The Hyundai Seoul to be easily approachable, while providing visionary design elements and color palettes that are both inspirational and aspirational. 

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels; Eyewear Area

The project transcends traditional retail philosophy to offer a unique perspective on how common experiences like shopping can be greatly enhanced, and its successful completion reinforces Burdifilek’s reputation as an internationally renowned custom design studio.

"This project is a celebration of many ingredients from retail and technology innovation to exceptional design and architecture each contributing to a memorable experience," said Paul Filek, Co-Founder and Managing Partner.  

"Working with Hyundai was also ideal, as it is a very design-aware company with a future-oriented vision when it comes to innovation in the retail space," Diego Burdi added.

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels; Fahion Accessories

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels; Change Room

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels, Fashion Accessories & Eyewear

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels; Fashion Accessories

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels; Fashion Accessories

Third Floor: Men and Women Advanced Contemporary Labels

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Footwear and Accessories

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels; Ceiling Detail

Second Floor: Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Footwear and Accessories

View from Ground Floor Atrium through Waterfall Garden at Second Floor Cafe

Ground Floor Atrium, Waterfall Garden Detail

Ground Floor Atrium, Waterfall Garden Detail

Ground Floor Atrium, Waterfall Garden Detail

Ground Floor Atrium, Waterfall Garden Detail

Ground Floor Atrium, Waterfall Garden

Ground Floor Atrium, Waterfall Garden

Ground Floor Atrium, Waterfall Garden

Extra Image, Second Floor,Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Footwear and Accessories; Ceiling Details with Display System

Project facts

Project Name: The Hyundai Seoul

Designer: Burdifilek

Client: The Hyundai Department Store Group

Location: 108 Yeoui-daero, Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - Part of Hyundai Parc 1 mixed-use complex

Spaces designed by Burdifilek for The Hyundai Seoul:  Ground Floor Atrium (Waterfall Garden) and Floors 2,3,4 (Selected Areas)

Areas:

Floor 2: 2,673 m2

Floor 3: 2,733 m2

Floor 4: 2,734 m2

Total area: 9,552 m2 (out of 89,100 m2 total area of The Huyndai Seoul)

Design Team:

Paul Filek, Co-founder and Managing Partner

Diego Burdi, Co-founder and Creative Director

Tom Yip, Project Manager

John Seo, Sr. Concept Designer + Korean Translator

Michael Del Priore, Sr. Concept Designer

Shawn Li, Designer

Daniel Mei, Technical Designer (CAD)

Anna Nomerovsky, CAD

Anna Jurkiewicz, CAD

Yoonah Lee, CAD

Lighting Consultant: Marcel Dion

Project Sector: Full-Line Department Store

Project Completed: February 2021

Top image: Second Floor, Women Contemporary International Fashion Labels, Accessories and Footwear.

All images © Yongjoon Choi Photography.

> via Burdifilek