Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster is famous for its futuristic and experimental retail concept. Each designed with a narrative unique to its location, the brand’s boutiques draw customers with gallery-like interiors filled with contemporary artworks and installation. Late February saw the opening of Gentle Monster’s flagship retail concept in Seoul.
Christened Haus Dosan, the five-level building houses a lounge, a two-storey Gentle monster store, the top floor for its cosmetics label Tamburins and the basement for the dessert shop Nudake.
Adopting the theme of Unopened: Future, the Gentle Monster store welcomes shoppers into The Lounge, a highly stylised dystopian scene featuring an installation of architectural ruin by Frederick Heyman, who uses photogrammetry to stage digital worlds out of relics of the past. A soundtrack inspired by the installation, created by Venezuelan artist Arca, completes the ambience.
The second storey displays optical eyewear collections in a hypnotic ambient courtesy of a video installation called Truth or Dare by Jones Lindstroem.
The Probe, a six-legged walking robot created by the brand’s robotics lab, presides over the sunglasses collection on the third storey.
The fourth level is home to Gentle Monster’s cosmetic brand Tamburins, which champions natural ingredients.
This level features a nature theme but with a monochromatic futuristic twist courtesy of an in-house designed kinetic installation inspired by reeds in the wind.
It also features various artworks by artists like Chulan Kwak, Mercedes Vincente and Casper Kang.
Nudake, the dessert shop at the basement level, looks more like a contemporary art gallery than a traditional cafe. With Taste of Meditation as its theme, it aims to stimulate one’s five senses.
A long table at the centre of the space greets visitors with an array of gourmet pastries crafted to look like minimalist design objects.
Tucked strategically among the tables are video installations by Italian artist Andrea Artemisio displaying videos of food consumption that highlight the emotions one experiences while eating. Haus Dosan aims to give a taste of the future of retail, and it is just the start. Gentle Monster will be opening a similar large-scale irregular retail concept in Shanghai in May.
Haus Dosan is located at 50 Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Visit www.gentlemonster.com for more information.
This article was originally published in Home & Decor.
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