Situated on the urban fringes of Seoul, and thus part of its sprawling metropolitan area, Hanam effortlessly oozes leafy suburbia, and obviously, this stature comes with a matching shopping infrastructure. There’s no denying, Starfield Hanam, one of South Korea‘s biggest shopping centres, is the very epicentre of local retail therapy. Obviously, it’s right here where Gentle Monster has had a store for quite some time, and in sync with the brand’s constant innovation drive, also regarding its retail spaces, the premises have recently seen a dramatic makeover by the brand’s in-house design team. The new design of the premises is inspired by Self-similarity, a mathematical theory based on fractals, scale invariance, and infinite possibility of expansion, and in good Gentle Monster tradition, it’s captured by a highly evocative and nifty series of artwork, images, and kinetic installations, all taking cues from the theory’s relevant Mandelbrot and Julia sets.
Right at the entrance, shoppers are greeted by twelve humanoid characters seated behind an elongated desk laden with desserts, a firm nod to affiliated cult dessert shop NUDAKE which also opened. At the heart of the store, The Probe can be found, a large six-legged robot which was first introduced at HAUS Dosan, Gentle Monster‘s flagship store which opened its doors earlier this year in downtown Seoul. The coveted merchandise is interspersed on displays, but is also presented on sleek shelves flanking the installations. As said, the revamp comes with new NUDAKE outpost, its second, in a unit next door. The interior design is understated and modern, and similarly presents an installation at the entrance. Bare concrete and whitewashed walls are paired with light wooden planking, and form the backdrop for a seemingly endless variety of modern furnishings. Rows of suspended linear light fixtures, a back wall overlaid with floor-to-ceiling metal rods and dark glass, and wooden sculptures add a sophisticated visual layering to the setting.
Gentle Monster
Starfield Hanam, 750 Misa-daero, Ground Floor (Sinjang-dong)
12942 Hanam
Telephone: +82 31 80728236
Daily 10am-10pm
Publishers Note
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