UNstudio: galleria centercity department store, cheonan

'galleria centercity department store' by UNstudio in cheonan, south korea
all images courtesy UNstudio
photograph by kim yong-kwan


internationally renowned practice UNstudio has completed 'galleria centercity',
a multi-storey department store in cheonan, south korea. recognizing the current
behavioural tendencies in asia where places of retail also serve a highly social function,
the project focuses on providing a memorable experience for the shoppers by treating
the communal space as a point of cultural exchange.



general view at night
photograph by kim yong-kwan


featuring a double-layered facade, the exterior is characterized by a trompe l'oeuil pattern
of vertical mullions which skew the sense of scale of the 66,000 m2 building. computer generated
animations specially designed by UNstudio are incorporated into the lighting design,
creating a media facade that illuminates the structure in a multitude of colours and effects.
the dynamic display lends the retail facility a distinct identity, facilitating a holistic and
site-oriented urban approach to branding. during the day, the building adopts a monochromatic
reflective appearance.



entrance
photograph by kim yong-kwan


'the most interesting thing to me about the effect of the galleria cheonan is that,
because of the organisation of the atrium and the moiré treatment of the facade,
illusions are created which result in the seeming alteration of scales and the creation
of double images. no image is permanent in this building,' says ben van berkel,
principal architect of UNstudio.

strategic openings in the inner facade layer provide ample daylight into the interior.
largely finished in white, the need for artificial lighting is minimized. overheating is also
avoided by the lamellas of the outer skin that prevent direct sunlight from entering the center.




theatre
photograph by kim yong-kwan


the interior is organized and revealed in layers that seeming unfold and transform as visitors
move throughout the space. centered around the main architectural theme of dynamic flow,
the levels are characterized a repetition and accumulation of curves. four stacked program clusters,
each accommodating three storeys and public plateaus, are linked to the central void. the arrangement
facilitates a fluent upstream of rotational circulation from the ground floor atrium to the roof terrace.
establishing a number of visual connections throughout, the resulting effect is an open and energetic
interface that focuses on the user.



interior view
photograph by christian richters



(left) view from the atrium
(right) the interior is revealed by leayers
photographs by christian richters



facade
photograph by christian richters



facade detail
photograph by christian richters



artificial lighting of media facade
photograph by kim yong-kwan



knot circulation diagram



facade concept



double layer facade



project info:

site area: 11, 235 m2
building area: 7,090 m2
gross floor area: 110, 530.73 m2
building coverage: 63.30%
floors: 6 below grade, 10 above grade
structure: steel-concrete composite columns, floor: steel structure with concrete slab

architect: UNstudio, amsterdan
design team: ben van berkel, astrid piber, ger gijzen, marc herschel, marianthi tatari,
sander versluis, albert gnodde, jorg lonkwitz, tom minderhoud, lee jae-young,
woo jun-seung, constantin boincean, yu-chen lin
interior: ben van berkel, astrid piber, ger gijzen, cristina bolis, veronica baraldi,
lee jae-young, felix lohrmann, kirsten hollmann, albert gnodde, martijn prins,
joerg lonkwitz, malaica cimenti, florian licht, william de boer, eelco grootjes, alexia koch

executive architect/site supervision/landscape architect: gansam architects & partners, seoul, korea
design team: kim tai-jip, han ki-young, nam myung-kwan, yoon chang-bae,
park seong-beom, kwon na-young, nam young-ho
interior: lee seung-young, no se-hyo, ryu hee-won, na min-hee

facade consultant: KBM co. LTD
light designer: a.g. licht, bonn, germany
content programmer: lightlife, berlin/cologne, germany
way-finding designer: geerdes ontwerpen, delft, netherlands
visuals: UNstudio, amsterdam and rendertaxi, aachen
structural engineer: kopeg engineering
electrical engineer: ilshin E&C
mechanical engineer: sahmwon MEC
civil engineer: CG E&C

main contractor: hanwha E&C co. LTD
facade contractor: ILJIN UNISCO, korea
interior: joong il, won intertech, artifort, gawon, creid, hanmi, sangwon S&D, dauhye