Shinsegae opens ‘The Heritage’ in the heart of Seoul
Once an old bank, now reimagined as a cultural hub filled with history, fashion, and art. Trend and heritage, past and present, are woven into this newly restored historical building, The Heritage
Shinsegae Department Store presents ‘The Heritage,’ a new iconic culture house in Myeong-dong•Namdaemun, where Seoul’s rich history, luxury, and trends merge in a 90-year-old historical space.
Situated in the center of Seoul, Myeong-dong is one of Korea’s oldest and most vibrant commercial districts, attracting millions of visitors annually. Named the ‘No.1 favorite spot in Korea’ among tourists over a decade by Korea Culture & Tourism Institute(KCTI), the area continues to be a global hotspot for shopping and culture.
Shinsegae Department Store presents a new iconic culture house ‘The Heritage’ in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Korea
Shinsegae Department Store in Myeong-dong has always been listed as the top 3 most visited spots in Jung-gu—a broader district that includes Myeong-dong—since 2020, according to Korea Tourism Organization(KTO).
Last November, Shinsegae’s media façade has been recreated as Shinsegae Square which allured one million visitors last winter alone with its spectacular digital signage featuring its Christmas film and K-culture content. Soon after, Shinsegae Department Store won fame for being the most instagrammable spot in Seoul after creating a huge buzz on social media.
Founded in 1963 as Korea’s very first department store, Shinsegae has been showcasing the trend of Korean lifestyle for the past 62 years not just with their highly curated designer brands but also by adding values to Korean people’s lives by pioneering the concept of an in-store-art gallery in the nation.
Shinsegae Department Store has been an absolute favorite amongst millions of global customers along with Harrods(UK) and Isetan(Japan), taking the chart of No.1 leading position in the Korean department store industry by far.
With its heritage, Shinsegae unveils what was once an old bank for the past decades as a new form of space that intertwines past and present and preserves the historical and cultural value of Seoul.
After a decade of meticulous restoration, the 90-year-old historical building, designated as the 71st tangible cultural property of Seoul since 1989, has been transformed into a vibrant cultural hub and is now open to the public.
Shinsegae has painstakingly restored every flower-shaped plaster ectype on the ceilings—an enduring masterpiece of modern Korean architecture—as it was almost 100 years ago.
Inspired by The Morgan Library&Museum in NYC, a curtain wall has also been added to the building’s exterior to incorporate a modern design, creating a harmony between heritage and innovation.
In alignment with its name, ‘The Heritage’ boasts ‘House of Shinsegae Heritage’ on the 5th floor, a space dedicated to featuring Korean craft art where Shinsegae extends its signature hospitality to visitors. Foreign visitors in particular will be mesmerized by unique Korean traditional arts and the beauty of craftsmanship.
On the 4th floor lies a museum where contemporary artifacts and archival photographs are exhibited to portray the story of the Korean retail industry. Digitally restored images of Myeong-dong from the 1930s and 1950s transport visitors back in time, offering a rare glimpse into old Seoul.
On the 1st and 2nd floor, a CHANEL boutique designed by Peter Marino serves as the ultimate expression of modern luxury, blending seamlessly with the building’s historical elegance. Shinsegae is the first in the nation to incorporate a luxury brand at a place where heritage lies within the building.
Nestled within a historic landmark where Korean contemporary commerce bloomed, ‘The Heritage’ is to become the opulent heart of Seoul. Through its exhibition filled with Korean beauty and tradition, global customers can immerse themselves into the journey of old and new, past and present.
