Downtown Gangnam is a mixing pot of style, fashion, cuisine, culture and innovation on the Asian stage. The Gangnam area was epitomised, coincidentally at the same time of the project with Psy’s Gangnam style which went viral globally.

 

In the heart of this lifestyle epicentre, lay an expensive piece of bare concrete site owned by SPC. The challenge set by the chairman Mr Hur for myself (Creative Director) and Mr Hur Jnr (chairman in waiting) was to ‘make this space a success’.

 

The solution was a four-storey food icon, a lifestyle and trend destination to showcase the food expertise and innovation of SPC. The concept became ‘SQ’ (Square), an architectural statement of glass and black steel with the food experience linked through a central atrium and glass elevator.

 

Creating a culture and destination around SQ was key. Beyond gourmet food, SQ became a prestige urban destination able to flex from gourmet Chemex coffee to delicate patisserie, from Neapolitan Pizza to fine dining restaurant and event roof terrace.  Each brand and operation featured open kitchens for food theatre, service island, innovative products with a high level of service throughout the experience including valet parking.

 

The minimal SQ branding, packaging, digital, uniforms supported the ‘urban chic’ design language platform which created a dialogue with the architecture and material palette.

 

At the heart of the SQ concept was engagement and consumer experience. A location of evolving culture of art events, celebrity endorsements, icon signature products, and ever-evolving menu. and linked with social media and exclusive events.

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