Maison Dior Seoul Opens in Cheongdam, Wrapped in Eleven White Sails

Dior opened its House of Dior boutique in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong district on 20 June 2015. The architect is Christian de Portzamparc, and the building rises six storeys behind a façade of eleven white sails with soft, fluid folds, a reference to the plain cotton toiles on which Dior’s designs begin.

The interiors are by Peter Marino, in wood, lacquer, leather and woven materials. Inside are a suspended sculpture by the Korean artist Lee Bul in the accessories space, a staircase lined with mirrored ribbons, women’s ready-to-wear, watches and jewellery, and Dior’s first exclusive Dior Homme boutique. The fourth floor holds an art gallery and private salons, and the top-floor terrace has a Dior Café with a menu by Pierre Hermé.

The avenue was to gain a second landmark four years later, when Louis Vuitton opened Maison Seoul with an exterior by Frank Gehry. We compare the street’s flagships in Seoul’s flagship architecture.