Porsche Studio Cheongdam | Designliga

Designliga – Bureau for Visual Communication and Interior Design has created a further state-of-the-art Porsche Studio in Seoul, South Korea. Porsche Studio Cheongdam opened in one of the most exclusive districts in the Asian metropolis on June 18. After Porsche auf Sylt in Germany, it is the second Porsche Studio to be designed under Designliga’s retail concept. In addition to further refining the concept, interior design and furnishing system, the creative agency is responsible for the visual identity and architectural realization of Porsche Studio Cheongdam.

What path should automotive retail choose in our age of digital anonymity and shifting social values?

The retail industry as a whole has been engulfed by sweeping changes for years. But the automotive industry has particular challenges to face: personal contact with customers and prospects is declining as potential customers increasingly turn to configuring their dream vehicles online; the sharing economy is disrupting traditional mobility behaviours; and items such as cars, formerly universally valid status symbols, are declining in value. In summary, “being, not having” has taken over and consumption and possession are being replaced by intangible values and experiences, particularly among younger generations.

In this setting, brands such as Porsche are abandoning their reliance on classic distribution channels and seeking new ways of maintaining long-term success in the future. Over the past four years Munich-based creative agency Designliga has supported Porsche AG and regional Porsche markets in this search. Its “Porsche Studio” concept delivers an answer to the question of where automotive retail is destined for in the future. The innovative city-center sales concept enables the sportscar manufacturer to engage even more directly with its customers and new target groups at the heart of their urban environment.

Brand identity – not product focus

For many generations the Porsche brand has stood for innovative engineering artistry, distinctive design and legendary motorsports successes. Porsche embodies tradition, provenance and history. Porsche has personality; indeed, Porsche is itself a personality.

This strong identity taps into a growing need in society for authenticity and continuity, and drives the design concept.

Designliga’s “Porsche Studio” concept is a symbolic invitation by the brand. Intrigued visitors enter a space where they can explore identity as an immersive multisensory experience: at home. The value of the Porsche retail process is no longer defined by merely ringing up a purchase, but by the personal relationship between customer and brand. The focus is on brand culture and the Porsche environment. 

Brand values as an experience

Personality is expressed in appearance and character, in form and content. At Porsche Studio Cheongdam, brand values are communicated through the atmosphere of the space, the narrative content it contains and the interpersonal contact it offers. Tradition meets innovation in terms of both aesthetic and content. Guests embark on a journey taking them from the brand’s past to its future, accompanied by unobtrusive attentiveness from the host. Along this journey, digital interaction enhances the sensory experience; in addition to a series of standout vehicles from the world of motorsports, an Interactive Heritage Wall invites guests to immerse themselves in the brand’s eventful history, while augmented reality allows them to playfully configure current models; eminently touchable large-format samples and items from the Porsche Exclusive design stable tangibly impart the themes of individualization and craftsmanship. 

The interior concept and the furnishing system developed by Designliga were adapted for the 1,060-square-meter location in Cheongdam and built in partnership with Korean companies. The visual identity, likewise a Designliga concept, establishes the unique character of Porsche Studio Cheongdam and reflects the brand’s strong personality. 

Images for the digital content and communication were created by South Korean fashion photographer Hong Jang Hyun, a star throughout Asia and internationally renowned for his high-fashion magazine covers.