stocker lee architetti wraps MANMADE seoul with textile-like concrete and glass blocks

"Stocker Lee Architetti completes the MANMADE flagship store for Wooyoungmi in Seoul's Itaewon district. The 970-square-meter building occupies a compact, curved plot along a slightly inclined road, a condition that becomes the primary design driver of the project. The architects allow the perimeter of the site to define the volume, resulting in an architecture that bends, adjusts, and aligns itself with the movement of the street."

"Exposed concrete, cast using OSB formwork and finished with a mineral glaze, carries visible traces of its making, allowing texture and patina to develop over time. The surface recalls the logic of fabric, with a woven appearance subtly echoing the sartorial world of Wooyoungmi. Glass blocks define the facade, filtering daylight into the interior during the day and transforming the building into a softly glowing volume after dusk."

"The Swiss architects organize the program through a sequence of mezzanine levels connected by a central vertical core that functions as the project's structural and spatial backbone. Moving through the store becomes a continuous journey, with changing ceiling heights and proportions introducing variation across the exhibition spaces. This sectional strategy allows each area to develop its own character while remaining part of a cohesive whole."

Stocker Lee Architetti completed the MANMADE flagship store for Wooyoungmi on a 970-square-meter, compact, curved plot in Seoul's Itaewon district. The building's geometry follows the road curvature, allowing the perimeter to define a volume that bends and aligns with street movement. A sequence of mezzanine levels arranged around a central vertical core creates a continuous spatial journey with varied ceiling heights and proportions. Exposed concrete cast with OSB formwork and a mineral glaze develops visible texture and a woven-like surface that echoes fabric. Glass blocks filter daylight and make the building softly glow at night. Concrete, glass, steel, stone, and wood establish a neutral, tactile environment that supports the garments.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine