Situated just north of Busan‘s port district, the leafy Dongnae area is not only where many of the city’s well-heeled reside, but also shop til they drop. Needless to say, Lotte department store, a leading fixture in South Korea‘s retail landscape, has been present with a shopping complex shared with affiliated hypermarket concept Lotte Mart for the oast two decades. Being a mature consumer market with continuously evolving sensibilities, especially the youngest of shoppers, the department store has seen a major revamp to keep abreast. The expansive 2,966 sqm. (31,926 sq.ft.) ground floor, now aptly dubbed Future Land, has been redesigned to create a distinctive and elevated shopping experience which fuses shopping with art, nature, and modern lifestyle. Lotte tapped lauded Seoul-based interior design practice Betwin Space to create a fitting setting, resulting in a modern and welcoming environment that incites exploration and adventure through non-typical forms and an eclectic palette of materials and colours.

A large suspended light ring visually dominates the space, demarcating a core comprising large display cabinets of metal, glass, and mirrors, and last but not least, a large planter with lush greens which not only aims to provide shoppers an immersive experience, but it also ties in with the ring of plants along the building’s outer periphery and planters interspersed elsewhere across the premises. A sophisticated lighting system further helps to make the core stand out. At the same time, the circular shape unifies all different sections of Lotte‘s ground floor space which also encompasses contrasting colour-infused settings, such as art gallery Arte marco‘s and fragrance brand Yugen. And speaking of offerings, Lotte‘s renewed ground floor also sees a sizeable section with counters of leading cosmetics brands from home and abroad, including DONGINBI, Christian Dior, Sulwhasoo and Elizabeth Arden, women’s apparel, accessories, a Swarovski counter, a flower and gardening shop, and two casual restaurant concepts where to recharge in between shopping sprees.

Designed by Betwin Space

Images © Betwin Space

Photography: Yongjoon Choi