The 13th Shinsegae Featuring an Observation Deck and Aquarium

Shinsegae Art & Science Expected to Become Daejeon's Largest Landmark
Optimized Commercial Area with 500 Brands... Fully Equipped with Sports Theme Park and Hotel

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Shinsegae Department Store is opening a mega department store in Daejeon, featuring over 70 luxury brand stores, making it the third largest Shinsegae store nationwide. With an investment of 650 billion KRW and equipped with a science museum, aquarium, and a luxury hotel, it is expected to rapidly emerge as the largest landmark in the Daejeon area.

Large Department Store Incorporating Shinsegae's Expertise

On the 4th, Shinsegae Department Store announced that on the 27th it will unveil the future-oriented department store ‘Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science’ on Expo-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, which integrates culture, art, and science. Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science consists of an 8-floor department store and the 193m tall Shinsegae Expo Tower, with a total floor area of approximately 284,224㎡ (86,000 pyeong). Of this, the department store's sales area is about 92,876㎡ (28,100 pyeong), making it the third largest among the 13 Shinsegae department stores nationwide, following Shinsegae Centum City and Daegu stores.

It is located about 6.7 km from Daejeon Station and about a 30-minute drive from Sejong City. Daejeon has a population of approximately 1.455 million, with an average household net worth of about 300 million KRW. This exceeds the non-capital region average of 280 million KRW, and in Yuseong-gu, over 40% of households earn more than 4 million KRW per month, indicating high income levels. The location and accessibility thus provide optimal conditions.

Daejeon Shinsegae plans to directly employ about 3,000 people through the establishment of a local corporation, as well as fulfill its social responsibilities by supporting scholarship programs and partnering with traditional markets, continuing its efforts to contribute to the local community.

The Meeting of Art and Science

The Expo Tower, located on the site of the 1993 Daejeon Expo, houses the ‘Art Observatory’ and the premium hotel ‘Onoma.’ Inside the department store, various experiential facilities are provided, including the science museum ‘Shinsegae Nexperium,’ the indoor sports theme park ‘Sports Monster,’ a 4,200-ton aquarium, and a rooftop garden.

Based on data accumulated by Shinsegae, the store features a brand lineup optimized for the local commercial district. It includes over 70 popular luxury brands such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Fendi, Saint Laurent, and Celine, as well as a total of about 500 brands across various categories including fashion, beauty, accessories, food, and lifestyle.

Art & Science, shaped like stacked rectangular structures, had its exterior architectural design by KPF, who also designed the Hudson Manhattan Tower in New York and Roppongi Hills. The interior design involved world-renowned firms such as Rockwell, who designed NeueHouse in New York and MGM Hotel in Macau, as well as Roman Williams and Jeffrey Hutchison.

Unlike typical department stores without windows, this store incorporates glass structures allowing shoppers to enjoy views of nature. A 10-meter large digital media display immediately visible upon entering the store also draws attention. The ultra-tall Expo Tower, symbolizing the central region, will illuminate Daejeon city with 256 colors. It will feature functions such as displaying fine dust concentration and seasonal nature-themed videos as part of its landscape lighting.

Shinsegae is taking thorough measures for quarantine as the new store opens amid strengthened social distancing due to COVID-19 concerns. Thermal AI cameras detect individuals with fever, air sterilizers?the first in the industry?have been installed in customer facilities, and all approximately 3,600 employees working at the department store have undergone COVID-19 testing.

Cha Jeong-ho, president of Shinsegae Department Store, said, “Shinsegae, which has repeatedly innovated, will establish this new store, unveiled after five years, as a landmark representing the central region by showcasing various culture, art, and science contents that embody the Shinsegae DNA.”

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