The monumental mosaic of the Galleria department store in Gwanggyo bursts at the seams to reveal bubbling geometric glass shapes offering a peek inside. It’s a step out of the ordinary for the planned city with architecture firm OMA taking a standard square and ensuring the exterior is what sets it apart.

Large towering residential blocks in shades of grey and beige stand tall over the city’s lake, and the Suwon Gwanggyo lake park. Attempting to make reference to the neighbouring park and the department store’s natural surroundings, the building’s façade moves away from the urban to introduce something a little more organic.

With the use of triangular stone tiles in a variety of natural brown shades and an unusual combination of shapes, an enigmatic exterior is produced that is mountainous and multifaceted.

Taking to triangular shapes for the glass and breaking up the façade, the billowing protrusions offer a view over Gwanggyo and a walk-through connected to a roof terrace. A significant amount of light is also diffused throughout the store from the large bulbous windows.

OMA

A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, July 2020.