Seoul | Flagship store or art gallery – shortly after its grand opening, invidis visited the newest global flagship store of Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster. The term "flagship store" is an understatement – because both the building's architecture and the four-story retail space are more like a gallery for modern art than a mere store.
House Nowhere: The Most Exciting Store in the World
In the trendy university district of Seongsu, hundreds of pop-up stores from cool fashion brands are popping up. Often only for a few days, former auto repair shops are transformed into hip pop-ups with vibrant facades, long lines of fans, and a truly immersive experience. An entire pop-up ecosystem has developed, and Korea’s hipsters regularly flock to exclusive events surrounding limited-edition capsule collections.
Scattered among up-and-coming social media brands are also more established Korean brands, some of them globally renowned. For the past few weeks, Gentle Monster – arguably Asia’s hippest eyewear brand – has joined the ranks. In Asia’s major shopping malls and airports, Gentle Monster sits alongside European luxury brands. The striking feature is the presentation – the unique experience. Gentle Monster typically focuses on a super cool, modern art centerpiece around which the eyewear is showcased.
Anyone who associates in-store experiences with the limited charm of Luxotica, Walmart, Fielman or Pearle (Apollo) has clearly never set foot in a Gentle Monster store. It’s hardly surprising, then, that the new corporate headquarters in Seoul represents the pinnacle of this presentation.
From the outside, the 14-story building resembles more a South American adobe hut elevated to a skyscraper. Designed by Kim Chan-jung, the spaceship-like building blends animatronics, sculptures, and experimental digital signage media to attract Gen Z and global visitors.
Massive LED Screens for Ambient
Right at the entrance, an oversized dachshund dominates the ground floor – the wall-sized LED display serves only as ambience. Not many brands invest millions of euros in LED displays in their flagship store, only to relegate the digital signage screens to a secondary role. An AR signage installation offers immersive, memorable experiences for Gen Z visitors. Judging by the queue, it’s one of the hippest selfies in Seoul right now.
On the upper floors – accessible via escalator through the open concrete structure – Gentle Monster remains true to its “Future Retail” concept. Conceived as “a place that can’t be found anywhere,” the store combines art, design, and point-of-sale commerce into an experimental environment. (Designboom Review)
Huge digital screen LED displays and partially kinetic artworks dominate the space. The latest Gentle Monster eyewear models are nestled among them.
On the top floor – above the offices – Gentle Monster’s parent company, Iicombined, has created a teahouse that could hardly be more in contrast to the rest of the experience. At Nudake Teahouse, a vibrant lounge, the Korean tea ritual takes center stage. A sensory experience with warm colors and interactive fragrance – a digital detox without screens.
For us, there’s currently nothing more exciting than Gentle Monster’s Haus of Nowhere in Seoul. A must-visit!
