Layered Translucent Facade Wraps H&M Seongsu in Seoul

Global fashion retailer H&M has unveiled its new three-level Seongsu store in Seoul, conceived with Shanghai-based design studio SKYnoa as a hyper-transformative cultural stage.

Designed as a sequence of theatrical acts shaped by styling and self-expression, the project repositions the retail environment as an evolving platform embedded within its local context.

GALLERY  

Anchoring the corner site is a layered translucent facade with wave-like contours, wrapped in a veil-like, milky skin. Backlit from within, the facade filters silhouettes and movement, creating anticipation before entry. By night, the building glows softly across Seongsu’s narrow alleyways, establishing a landmark presence amid the neighbourhood’s mix of garages, cafés and workshops.

On the ground floor, industrial textures reference Seongsu’s manufacturing past. Everyday infrastructure is reimagined as sculptural display, with highway guardrails repurposed as fixtures and a kinetic windshield-wiper installation animating a mirrored wall. A hidden outdoor garden features a blue car installation that nods to the area’s automotive repair history. An exposed ceiling reinforces the raw, workshop-like atmosphere and sets the tone for the first act.

A sculptural staircase dipped in H&M’s signature red marks the transition between levels. Conceived as an intermission within the spatial narrative, the stair offers a pause point for visitors to gather, photograph and recalibrate. Its saturated colour punctuates the otherwise muted material palette, bridging the robust ground floor with the softer upper levels.

The second floor interprets the store as a walk-through wardrobe. Modular wooden container displays carve the plan into closet-like zones organised through curatorial logic. A walk-in wardrobe inspired by traditional Hanbok fabric introduces a lighter material expression, culminating in a large-scale fabric installation whose airy folds temper the industrial shell while embedding a local cultural reference.

At the top level, the focus shifts to personalisation under the theme ‘For You, By Me’. Outfits selected by key opinion leaders and local creators are showcased within a content-ready environment anchored by a runway-style fitting room. Mirrored surfaces heighten immersion and self-observation, while reconfigurable zones allow the store to operate as a dynamic content engine rather than a static retail interior.

Images courtesy of H&M via Designboom

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