The Hyundai Seoul Selected as 'Best Retail Design' by UK’s Monocle

Global Attention for Innovative Design... Praised for Natural Lighting and Indoor Green Parks

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Hyundai Department Store announced on the 10th that 'The Hyundai Seoul,' which opened in Yeouido, Seoul last February, was selected as the 'Best Retail Design' in the '2020-2021 Design Awards Top 50' by the global lifestyle magazine MONOCLE.

Founded in the UK in 2007, MONOCLE covers international affairs, business, and design, and is well known as a 'trendsetter magazine' favored by CEOs of global companies and opinion leaders.

The 'Monocle Design Awards' started this year to select and award the 'most enjoyable and useful top designs that improve quality of life' across 50 fields closely related to human life, such as buildings, retail, packaging, and chairs. The Hyundai Seoul was chosen as the best design among retail facilities worldwide completed since January last year.

Monocle described The Hyundai Seoul as "a tremendous project that will lead the revival of retail" and praised it as "very well designed to realize the high ambition of becoming the world's best shopping center."

Hyundai Department Store analyzed that The Hyundai Seoul received such high praise due to its 'nature-friendly spatial composition' and 'customer-centered circulation design.' The Hyundai Seoul filled its store with nature-friendly elements, such as the 12-meter-high artificial waterfall in the first-floor 'Waterfall Garden (740㎡, approx. 224 pyeong)' and the indoor green park on the fifth floor, 'Sounds Forest (3,300㎡, 1,000 pyeong),' aiming to provide rest and healing for customers exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the ceiling was made entirely of glass to allow natural lighting on all floors, and the building adopted the Void construction method, opening the entire building from the ceiling down to the first floor.

Especially, to provide customers with new experiences, instead of expanding the 'store area' for product sales, the space and circulation for comfortable rest and healing were innovatively expanded. The building was designed by world-renowned architect Richard Rogers and collaborated with nine design specialist companies, including the Canadian interior firm BuddyFleck and the UK global design firm CMK.

A Hyundai Department Store official said, "It is meaningful that The Hyundai Seoul's bold and innovative attempts have been recognized globally," adding, "We will continue to develop it into a global lifestyle landmark with content comparable to the global retail market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.