UK architecture practice Heatherwick Studio has revealed plans to redesign the Hanwha Galleria shopping centre in Seoul by introducing volumes that resemble "rippled hourglasses".
Located on a major crossroad close to the city's Han River, the store's existing structures will be replaced with two near-identical volumes formed of curved glass.
The proposal is intended to "redefine the store's connection to the local area", according to Heatherwick Studio.
Developed alongside local studio Haeahn Architecture and the local authorities, the distinct shape of the buildings is intended to frame views of the nearby river.
Both will each feature undulating glass facades that curve inwards towards their middles, supported by an exposed structural framework and used as backdrops for projections at night.
They will be divided at ground level by the crossroad but connected below ground by an updated subway that will also provide access to the shopping centre.
Inside, the buildings will open up to light-filled entrances and landscaped plazas at ground level that are intended to enhance the area's public space.
There will also be open-air gardens hosted at the volumes' recessed middle levels, which will contain cafes, restaurants and shops, while rooftop gardens offer viewpoints of the city.
"Traditionally, department stores are quite inward facing, they feel closed off to the surrounding streets," studio partner Neil Hubbard said.
"Combined with Hanwha's ambition to bring more activity to the buildings, we wanted to provide a strong overall silhouette that creates a gateway, but also gives Seoulites new garden-like spaces to meet, shop and enjoy their city."
The proposal was selected as part of a competition organised by the Seoul Metropolitan Government that called for a design that will "challenge conventional notions of a luxury department store" and "affirm the country's increasingly influential role as a global cultural powerhouse".
Elsewhere in Seoul, Heatherwick Studio is set to transform Nodeul Island into a public park with "floating islets".
The studio is currently also developing its first South American building, which will feature a colourful facade of undulating columns, while its founder Thomas Heatherwick is developing an architectural master's degree at Loughborough University as part of his Humanise campaign.
The renders are courtesy of Devisual.