Founded in the 1970s, the Galleria is Korea’s first and largest upscale department store franchise, and has remained at the forefront of the premium retail market in the country since then. 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. 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 facade that evokes nature of the neighboring park. Appearing as a sculpted stone emerging from the ground, the store is a visual anchor in the city. The monolithic character of the facade and its opacity is altered by a sequence of cascading terraces that, clad with a multifaceted glass skin facade that contrasts with the opacity of the stone, form a public loop that offers spaces for exhibitions and performances. Through the glass, retail and cultural activities inside are revealed to the city’s passersby, while visitors in the interior acquire new vantage points to experience Gwanggyo. 


Cliente Client
Hanwha Galleria  

Arquitecto Architect
OMA / Chris van Duijn (socio partner); Ravi Kamisetti (asociado associate); Patrizia Zobernig (jefa de proyecto project leader)

Concepto Concept
Mark Bavoso, Alan Lau, James Lee, Slobodan Radoman, Tianyu Su, John Thurtle

Proyecto básico Schematic Design
Mark Bavoso, James Lee, John Thurtle (equipo team)

Proyecto de ejecución Design Development
Ikki Kondo, James Lee, Daan Ooievaar, Slobodan Radoman, John Thurtle (equipo team)

Diseño interior 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 (equipo team)

Colaboradores Collaborators
Arquitecto ejecutivo Executive Architect: Gansam Architects & Partners / Shinhee Won (director de proyecto design chief); Jiseung Oh (jefe de proyecto project leader); Sangmi Park, Joon Gong, Gihyeong Park, Seuin Yang, Seungyeob Baek, Jeonghyeonyon Lee, Hyejin Ju, Yunhyeong Lee, Cheonro Kim, Choo-ho Rhee (equipo team)

Interiorismo Interior
Seungyeon Lee (director de proyecto design chief); Hojeong Kim (jefe de proyecto project leader); Celin Yu, Yujin Lee, Misun Cho, Hyunjung Lee (equipo team) Hanwha E&C (construcción construction); VS-A (fachada facade); WITHWORKS Architects & Engineers (muro cortina curtain wall); DAEHYE Interior Design & Architecture (panelado de piedra exterior panel wall); KoPEG Engineering (estructura structure); ENG Engineering (MEP); NARA Engineering (electricidad electricity); Samoo M.E.P Consultant (protección contra el fuego fire engineer); Edelsmid Emile Estourgie with Yasuhito Hirose and Made by Mistake, RJ Models (maquetas models)

Fotos Photos
Hong Sung Jun