Galleria Cheonan » UNStudio

The Galleria Cheonan building organisation employs a propeller principle. Four stacked programme zones, each thematically combining three storeys and containing public plateaus, are linked to the central void. The concept of the propeller is a fluent upstream flow of people through the building, whilst the propeller wings simultaneously stream visitors outwards to the plateaus on the various levels. On the facades a gradual transition from exterior surface to the interior plateaus accentuates the internal organisation. The facade is double layered. Both the outer glass shell and the inner skin comprise of a linear pattern created by the vertical mullions. During the day the building has a monochrome reflective appearance, whilst at night soft colours are used to generate waves of coloured light across the facade.

Client: Hanwha Galleria
Location: Cheonan, Korea
Building surface: 66,700m2
Building volume: 395,600m2 above ground / 297.200m2 underground
Building site: 11,235m2
Programme: Department Store with multifunctional facilities.
Timing: March 2008 – December 2010

Status: under construction

Architecture: Concept design to execution: UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber with Ger Gijzen, Marc Herschel and Marianthi Tatari, Sander Versluis, Albert Gnodde, Jorg Lonkwitz, Tom Minderhoud, Junseung Woo, Constantin Boincean, Yu-chen Lin. Interior: Concept design and Schematic design: UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber with Ger Gijzen, Cristina Bolis and Veronica Baraldi, JaeYoung Lee, Felix Lohrmann, Kirsten Hollmann, Albert Gnodde, Martijn Prins, Joerg Lonkwitz, Malaica Cimenti
Advisors: Executive architects: GANSAM, Seoul, Korea. Light Designer: AG Licht, Bonn, Germany. Way-finding Designer: Geerdes Ontwerpen, Delft, Netherlands. Renderings: UNStudio, Amsterdam and rendertaxi, Aachen