Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, will be rebuilt. The facade will be designed in an hourglass shape by world-renowned designer Thomas Heatherwick, and the project also plans to include an underground plaza and a rooftop garden.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 11th that it recently held the 4th Subcommittee on Delegated Authority of the Urban and Architecture Joint Committee and approved with amendments the draft decisions on the "Apgujeong Apartment District District Unit Plan (change) and Special Planning Zone Detailed Development Plan" related to the new Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong.
According to the plan, the new Galleria Department Store will consist of two buildings in the shape of an hourglass. The maximum height will be eight stories, and in addition to its primary use as a retail facility (department store), it will also create shared spaces consolidated from an underground plaza to indoor and outdoor public spaces on the lower floors to a mid-level garden and a rooftop garden.
The underground plaza will be equipped with rest and convenience facilities for domestic and international visitors and will be used as a venue for public exhibitions and events.
The three-story-tall indoor public space will provide greenery for citizens. It will also include a mid-level garden and a rooftop garden that offer views of the city and the Han River from various heights. As a public contribution, it plans to use the site of Cheongdam High School, which is scheduled to relocate next year, to install a cultural complex facility such as a design center.
As a target site for the Urban Architecture Design Innovation Project, it will receive incentives such as relaxed floor area ratio and building coverage ratio, expedited administrative support, and advisory support for project implementation. At the time of the public call, the project operator requested easing the building coverage ratio and floor area ratio to 1.2 times the implementation rate (up to 60%), and the final relaxation will be determined after deliberation by the Architecture Committee.