Dr Jart+ Flagship, Seoul
Design Credit:
Betwin Space Design
betwin.kr
With its Gangnam-district flagship store ‘Filter Space Seoul’, beauty company Dr. Jart+ takes the cleansing power of its beauty products to thematic extremes.
A store-meets-installation experience, the space is crafted inside and out to look like an enormous filtration device, evoking an aesthetic of purification and cleansing that ties into the brand’s ethos.
Betwin Space Design’s HVAC-inspired space for Dr. Jart+ perfectly encompasses the brand’s cleansing ethos.
The almost unearthly space is in stark contrast to the business of the city outside, and the air ducts, filter systems and HVAC-inspired materials that form its decor suggest a place cleansed of pollution or the grit of daily living.
Pared back and minimalist, its understated materials and monochromatic color scheme play homage to industrial filtration systems while simultaneously evoking the three natural elements the brand holds up as being at the core of beauty: water, air and light.
A large air conditioning unit crowns the building and funnels down into each level of the space to create a sense of being within a piece of functional machinery. A stainless steel-wrapped staircase provides a duct-inspired route from entryway to rooftop that suggests the movement of air while allowing the movement of people.
Visitors enter through an airlock, sip on water distilled from elaborate purification device, and receive ‘prescriptions’ based on their skin condition, health and overall mood. Products are displayed on stainless steel benches, while brand signage is etched into mesh steel walls or displayed on screens mounted in industrial chambers.
Flawlessly themed in a way that perfectly encompasses the brand’s ethos, it’s certainly a breath of fresh air.