Following two previous pop-up venues to test the water, online select shop 29CM recently launched its very first standalone store Seongsu, widely acknowledged as Seoul‘s newest fashionable shopping zone. Mind you, the fact that 29CM became newly affiliated with highly successful retail company Musinsa, may have accelerated this transition to physical retail. The 29CM store occupies a lofty 339 sqm. (3,649 sq.ft.) ground floor unit at the back of the so-called Econet Centre, an architecturally acclaimed building by architect Yoo Seokyon, and overlooks the tree-lined plaza of Seongsu Park. Mind you, the much-publicised Dior pop-up store sits directly on the other side of this tiny green oasis. The structure is also the head office of Univera, a South Korean health product and cosmetics brand. The online retailer tapped local architecture practice studio fragment to create a fitting store, and this resulted in settings that signal 29CM‘s objective to introduce tightly curated new fashion styles and lifestyle novelties to a demographic of young and in-the-know shoppers. As such, the premises have been set up as a highly versatile showroom and exhibition space, albeit a very understated one.
The ground floor, flooded by natural light thanks to large floor-to-ceiling windows, features a backdrop of walls and fixtures dipped in a discreet grey hue, an exposed ceiling with utility pipes overlaid with metal grid light installations, and flooring of polished concrete and bricks. Upon entering, shoppers find themselves in a section where a rotation of art shows are held, and it’s flanked on one side by a wall-mounted timber display cabinet, and right behind it, is the actual showroom where more merchandise is presented on wall-mounted display racks. Situated in an opposite corner is a full-fledged coffee counter, serving exclusively Manufact Coffee concoctions, featuring a metal counter with a built-in shelving unit laden with merchandise. A simple staircase leads to the glass-encased mezzanine floor where an additional showroom with tiered timber shelving and wall panels can be found. The new 29CM store carries a varied rotation of modern lifestyle brands and products, and currently the offerings include Calvin Klein apparel and underwear, SONY pocket cameras, design furniture by various European brands, a Haag pop-up store with women’s knitwear, and given the upcoming holiday season, an assortment of funny Christmas gifts.
29CM
78 Asachan-ro (Seongsu)
04782 Seoul
Tue-Sun 11am-8pm
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