OMA / AMO deliver prototype showroom in korea for hyundai’s genesis car brand

AMO — OMA’s research and design studio — has completed a prototypical car showroom for hyundai’s ‘genesis’ car brand. the genesis gangnam store is designed to be attentive to visitors’ needs, while providing them with an authentic, analogue experience that ‘cannot be substituted with digital technology’. the scheme comprises a set of guidelines, which will be used as part of a global roll out strategy. as such, this store in seoul is the first application of a new automotive retail concept.

all images © june young lim, courtesy of hyundai

‘car shops, formerly the prime sales venue for cars, are no longer the exclusive setting in which cars are branded and presented to customers,’ explains AMO. ‘multichannel points of sales enable customers to choose between brands and models before entering the car shop; as a result, 90% of the customers who visit a car store have already chosen a model in advance. under the pressure of the increased fragmentation of sales and in response to changing consumer habits, the automotive retail store has increasingly turned into a space for marketing and visual branding. this is reflected in the design of the retail space: the ubiquitous vitrine typology has created a mish-mash of brands and product.’

the prototypical car showroom has been designed for hyundai’s ‘genesis’ car brand

designing a store for genesis — hyundai’s luxury vehicle division — led AMO to question the relevance of the automotive retail space as a sales environment, and to further explore its potential. consequently, the store treats car display as curation, breaking away from the commonplace practice of showing as many models as possible. the models on display are placed against a neutral backdrop of grey concrete and lit from above by a bright ceiling.

the store is designed to provide an ‘authentic, analogue experience’

rather than the large windows so common to car showrooms, the genesis showroom has been conceived as a space of ‘gradual discovery’. concrete walls partition the 1,410 square meter volume, with purchasing areas contained within a sequence of independent rooms. here, furniture in the same color and material blends into its context.

the vehicles are lit from above by a bright ceiling

the models on display are placed against a neutral backdrop of grey concrete

purchasing areas are contained within a sequence of independent rooms

furniture in the same color and material blends into their context

concrete walls partition the 1,410 square meter volume

the scheme treats car display as curation

the building avoids the vast windows so common to conventional car showrooms

the genesis showroom has been conceived as a space of ‘gradual discovery’

floor plan / level 0 (click for lager version)
image © OMA

floor plan / level +1 (click for lager version)
image © OMA

project info:

status: completed
client: hyundai motor company
location: seoul, south korea
site: 1,410 sqm
program: showroom
partner-in-charge: chris van duijn
AMO director: samir bantal
project architect: shinji takagi
team: alan song, alessandro bonfiglio, fernando ocana, silvia sandor, vincent kersten

collaborators
clients design team: HMC creative works
local architect: innocean worldwide
local contractor: janghak construction
lighting consultant: mavericks
sound consultant: music infinity, geniune consulting