Architects: stof.

Area: 680 m²

Year: 2024

Photographs:Donggyu Kim

Lead Architects: Seongjae Park

Design Team: Doyun Lee, Jimin Park, Haeryung Cho

Program / Use / Building Function: Retail

City: Seongdong-gu

Country: South Korea

Text description provided by the architects. Flat Point, a living design brand that adds a touch of uniqueness to customers’ spaces with its minimalist design approach, has relocated and expanded its showroom from Samseong-dong to a two-story space in Seongsu-dong. The new Seongsu-dong showroom set slightly back from the bustling main street, allows for a slower, more reflective atmosphere. Spanning around 660 square meters, the L-shaped building connects two former factories, featuring rough finishes on its facade and an outdoor staircase leading to the rooftop, capturing the essence of Seongsu-dong’s industrial past.

Design Studio stof sought to visualize the intriguing scenery created by layering the brand’s unique colors onto Seongsu’s distinct local character. Through contrasts in time, shifts in perspective, and layers of essence, the design establishes a sequence from neighborhood to space, from space to product, layering the values and emotions of Flat Point onto Seongsu-dong. stof visualized the ‘contrast of time’ that arises from blending the rawness of Seongsu-dong with the modern identity of the brand through contrasting finishes. The facade features a striking division between the existing white tiles and a bright STO texture, with the clean interior contrasting the rough exterior, providing a backdrop that accentuates the brand. This design captures the temporal contrast between Seongsu’s past and present.

A circular staircase, visible through the glass facade, creates a structural identity that draws the eye from the outside. Inside, it serves as a vertical connection between the first and second floors, enhancing the user’s experience with various levels through the display platform with different height transitions. The second-floor concept space, “Dream House,” introduces a dark wooden ceiling contrasting the first floor, shifting the mood and altering the way customers perceive and interact with the products.

The brand’s minimalistic character is reflected in a single surface finished with uniform materials, connecting walls, floors, and the staircase’s handrails across interior and exterior spaces. Additionally, thin layers of metal and wood with contrasting textures create a functional aesthetic, adding depth to the brand’s identity in shared design language for essential elements within the space. Flat Point and its users will endlessly find inspiration and contemplation in this new space, rich in design heritage and lifestyle.