IOPE LAB Flagship / Betwin Space Design

Curated by Hana Abdel

Architects: Betwin Space Design
Area: 396 m²
Year: 2020
Photographs:Yong-Joon Choi
Manufacturers: AutoDesk, 3form, Glasco, Glasco, Hidden Tech, Hidden Tech, Kvadrat, Miicon, Nspace, Nspace, Total Marble, Trimble Navigation
Lead Architects: Betwin Space Design
Construction: Full Design

IOPE LAB Flagship / Betwin Space Design - Image 8 of 31 — © Yong-Joon Choi

Text description provided by the architects. Because of Corona virus pandemic, people all around the world buy more from online shops than offline shops. But online shops can’t diagnose your skin future. Now there is a new type of cosmetic shop that provides customized treatment. ‘IOPE LAB’ is located in Myeongdong, Seoul. It has provided innovative services such as skin gene analysis and customized 3D mask with its continuous challenge-able research and accumulated assets with ‘IOPE Innovators’ since 1996. Experts of IOPE LAB suggest advanced skin solution through 1:1 counseling and help customers experience the value of unrivaled value of ‘IOPE LAB’.

The design concept is ‘HIDDEN TIME’ that indicates secret ‘skin future research center’ studying your past, current and future skin. It reflects the brand’s unique professionalism, technological power and customized solution and tries to build a symbolic space of the brand that customers can rely on. With this intention, Façade Design emphasized the symbolism with refined shape and color that can be differentiated at complicated Myeongdong alleys. It built up newly designed concrete blocks in dry type for this project.

When night comes, light comes out of the gaps of blocks showing various types of shadows of researchers working inside the building. ‘IOPE LAB’ sign on the front side of the first floor is designed with the same concrete to transfer the refined shape consistently and delicately. Betwin Space Design decorated inside and outside of the building to explain the concept of the brand of research center. It focused on emptying the space continuously rather than filling the space to transfer the essential characteristics of a lab. The area is composed of total five floors.

IOPE LAB Flagship / Betwin Space Design - Interior Photography, Glass — © Yong-Joon Choi

The first floor, second and third floor are for customers. Each floor provides different types of services. Fourth and fifth floors are for researchers. People can experience the products freely on the first floor. It introduces the brand and the best solution of the brand. It briefly introduces the services that the shop provides to people. They can test the products on the table positioned in the center. They can consult with employees and pay for products. A transparent dumb waiter is installed in the back of the counter to move the products to each floor from the first floor.

It uses minimal type of marble and acryl for the first floor to express variety of finish and shape with blue color which is the symbolic color of the brand. Working with an artist, it tried to show brand color using acryl at handles and tables. ‘Custom Beauty Lab’ on the second floor is a laboratory for researchers. Customers can see the process of manufacturing customized serum and 3D masks. The laboratory actually shows serum, manufacturing devices of masks and research records of researchers. It uses transparent glass and metal for finish so that they can see it well. It is different from the first floor. So people can enjoy the laboratory itself.

Lastly, customers can get advanced skin test and gene analysis on the third floor. They can reserve the space in advance. They have to wash their faces and store their stuff for skin test. So it tried to provide space for comfortable movement of people and private atmosphere for customers. The powder room and consulting area which are finished with satin glass in round shape give comfortable mood and can prevent other people from seeing inside. It uses hidden screen system on the ceiling to provide delicate illumination and comfortable atmosphere controlling the intensity of illumination.