Seoul's palace has replicated London's iconic Southbank brutalist skatepark within its latest store establishment.
New Balance Store in Seoul to Open on February 8, 2025
British skatewear brand Palace is set to expand its presence in Seoul with the opening of a second store on February 8, 2025. The new balance store, located at 30, Hongik-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, will be a collaboration with multidisciplinary designer Steve Oh.
The second Palace store in Seoul is set to be larger than the first, which opened in the Apgujeong district in February 2024 and was the brand's largest store to date. The new balance store will feature a totemic 'English bulldog sculpture' and a 'P'-shape light with Palace's signature slanted font, as well as a display of colorful skate decks.
Steve Oh, who previously worked in the research and development team at Google ATAP and founded his own design agency OSTVO in 2023, was brought on to design the new balance store. Oh aimed to capture the essence of Southbank's brutalist architecture within the space. The Seoul store features concrete pillars and ceilings, a gleaming grey marble floor, and monolithic slabs of red marble to recreate Southbank's block-like benches. The rough concrete textures mimic the wood-like texture of the original Southbank Centre, creating an exercise in contrast.
Co-founders Gareth Skewis and Lev Tanju spent much of their formative years skateboarding in the Southbank Centre, which serves as the spiritual home of the brand. The duo expresses their fondness for Seoul and its skate scene, likening it to nowhere else they've ever been. They also comment on the strong fanbase Palace has in Seoul, stating that it doesn't feel like any other place and that they have made great friends there.
Southbank was shaped by a group of visionary young architects from the London County Council, who had the freedom to push boundaries. The brutalist architecture of the Southbank Centre reflects this spirit of innovation, and Oh sought to bring this essence to the new balance store in Seoul.
The opening of the new balance store in Seoul marks another step in the brand's global expansion, following the success of its first store in the city. Fans of Palace in Seoul and beyond are eagerly awaiting the store's opening on February 8, 2025.
