Shinsegae Gwangju by MVRDV | Mattias Henningsson

Shinsegae is the largest and most luxurious South Korean department store franchise, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

Shinsegae, announced a design competition in Gwangju, the 6th largest city in South Korea aiming to create a successful “Shinsegae Town” through the mutual supplements between the new proposal and the existing department store.

MVRDV proposed a 25000 sqm mall, a combination between department store (usual shinshegae shops) and shopping mall, including hotel, parking, retail, foodcourts and both private and public courtyards. The facades of the exterior and the internal galleries are structured by the grid of columns and floors. Within these structures, milk glass panels are positioned that can be illuminated from their interior edges. Even images can be projected from there. Together these illuminated panels can form a changeable façade. From pixelized messages and adverts, towards moody monochromes. It turns the building into a lantern for the city. The central parts of the hotel room panels and the shop window panels are gradually made transparent to allow for views in and outwards.