Kolon Sport was founded in 1973 as a climbing equipment brand, but has since not only evolved into South Korea‘s leading purveyor of outdoor activewear, but also gained a prominent position in a number of markets in Asia. Not surprisingly, it’s already well established in Seoul‘s fast-evolving retail arena with two stores, but very recently, Kolon Sport further raised its profile by launching a third retail space and its most ambitious one to date in the city. Officially named Kolon Sport Hannam, the flagship store occupies two floors of a modern low-rise structure in Hannam, a leafy area of town which has seen an influx of new boutiques and eateries in recent years. As said, it’s concepted as the brand’s most prominent retail space, and as such, it comes with rather grand dimensions. Measuring 443 sqm. (4,768 sq.ft.) set across two floors, Kolon Sport tapped Seoul-based design practice Studio Fragment to create a fitting interior.
As the brand’s focus is on actively engaging with the outdoors, the aesthetic reinterprets the many natural phenomena that can be experienced in a forest as urban materials. As such, louvers and gratings made of achromatic materials have been designed which replicate the specific play of light and shadow created by leaves, and mimicking a stroll in the woods, abstracted vertical trees intersect with viewpoints according to distance and viewpoint. This has resulted in a highly interactive retail space with meticulously designed patches of green by botanical artist Sohee Park on the lower floor, and which also flank the building’s façade, to inspire shoppers to roam freely across the premises. The new Kolon Sport flagship store carries the brand’s full range of men’s and women’s apparel, shoes, bags and accessories, and additionally sees an inaugural camping-themed exhibition on the premises.
Kolon Sport Hannam
260 Itaewon-ro (Hannam)
04400 Seoul
Telephone: +82 2 36778000
Daily 11-8
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