Recently opened, SOM designed, Lotte Department Store Gwangbok branch in Busan, Korea requested Yamasaki Ku Hong Associates Design Lab (YKH) to modify the existing ‘roof garden’ to allow and amplify users to enjoy the spectacular view of Busan Port. Additionally, the client requested us to find a way to increase ‘brand identity’ and ‘sales volume’. Existing conditions of roof garden with two separate observatories were not efficiently designed and more importantly were not connected; there were a possibility to increase two floors of additional retail area. YKH have come up with a new idea called, ‘Way-Pod’; Way Pod is derived from I-Pod, creating a hardware that could evolve with time. Way-Pod is comprised of ‘Way’ – free of charge, elevated view corridor – and ‘Pod’ – with charge, entertainment hardware for fun, culture and event.
Way is also divided into six different ‘way’s: 1) Sol-way – allowing users to enjoy view of sunset; 2) Heal-way – allowing users to improve their health such as jogging trail; 3) Art-Way – allowing users to view exhibitions of art and entertainment; 4) View-way – allowing users to enjoy view of the Sea; 5) EQ-way – allowing users to increase their emotional quotient (EQ); 6)Tune-way – allowing users to increase their sense of music.
Pod, a new source of income for the department store is also divided into six different ‘pod’s: 1) Gig-pod – performing area; 2) Foodie-pod – Restaurant and café zone; 3) Kid-pod – place for kids; 4) Gem-pod – game area; 5) Edu-pod – educational shops and experience area; 6) Muse-pod – museums and art exhibition area.
Way and Pod are inter-mixed together to allow people to enjoy a new way of “entertainment”; this hardware & software architecture will be the first hybrid entertainment/observatory of its kind located on top of department store and will be a new prototype for retailers to mix shopping and culture together.
Architect: Yamasaki Ku Hong Associates Design Lab Location: Nampo-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, Korea Partner-in-charge: Tae Sun Hong, Won Jin Kim Project Team: Jeong Yeon Lim, Dong Soo Jang, Ji Hyang Lee, Na Ra Youn Program: Roof Garden, Observatory, Museum, Retail Building Area: 19,835 sqm Total Floor Area: 29,752 sqm
