Invited guests inspect Starfield Hanam ahead of the official opening of the mega shopping complex near Seoul. [Photo & video by Park Sae-jin]
South Korea's leading department store franchise Shinsegae waits for a gala ceremony this week to open Starfield that could be listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's single largest shopping mall.
The complex large enough to fit 70 football fields will open on Friday in Hanam, 17 kilometers (10 miles) east of Seoul, with 750 brands including many premium labels ranging from Louis Vuitton and Prada to a showroom for German carmaker BMW.
"The shopping theme-park has everything that customers want," Lim Young-lock, vice president of Shinsegae Property, the group's property development unit, said in a pre-opening press tour.
Visitors feel a comfortable atmosphere under light coming in through glass roofs as they walk in the ground hall for a delightful trip up through the seven-storey complex which houses a multi-sports gym, a theater, a two-story indoor and outdoor pool, and other recreational and sports facilities.
"Starfield has applied for registration in the Guinness World Records as the single largest shopping mall in the world," Lim said boastfully, adding the mall has already set new records at home as the largest shopping complex, the largest single indoor car parking complex, and the largest atypical glass roof.
Visitors form a queue to register for the online membership of Starfield Hanam, a mega shopping complex near Seoul. [Photo by Park Eun-joo]
Visitors using smartphones are busy registering onto a membership app in Starfield Hanam, a mega shopping complex near Seoul, to get premium coupons and discounts. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
In a pre-opening event on Monday, more than 1,000 invited guests lined up in kiosks to register onto a Shinsegae app for membership coupons and discounts. Many opened their eyes wide with surprise or uttered an exclamation at the splendid structure of Starfield.
"I've only been here for thirty minutes and I already love this place!," said Kim Joo-hyun, a 77-year-old resident in Seoul who traveled about 30 kilometers (18 miles) to visit Starfield. "It has everything! This place is like no other. Starfield will be my shopping spot from now on."
On an outdoor park of Starfield, a mega shopping complex near Seoul, stand 12 large inflated and illuminated rabbits by Australian artist Amanda Parer. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
In the hall of the Starfield shopping complex, gigantic inflated and illuminated rabbits by Australian artist Amanda Parer are on display for the first time in Asia. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
On its outdoor park and the first floor, 12 gigantic inflated and illuminated rabbits by Australian artist Amanda Parer were on display for the first time in Asia. The bunnies of 'Intrude' stand tall at up to 15 meters. The exhibition of Parer's nylon-sewn sculptures runs from September 5 through October 3.
Women’s casual clothing stores and family-friendly venues such as a pottery workshop were placed on the first floor, breaking away from the usual layout of South Korean shopping malls where high-end cosmetic brands take place in the main hall, while high-end labels such as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Bulgari were mainly on the second floor.
Instead of luxury fashion houses, the first floor was reserved for a cooking studio, a family workshop center, 17 restaurants, about 40 casual fashion stores, and a large section for electronics products. Attached to the main building was a separate Shinsegae department store.
Visitors enjoy exotic menus at Starfield's food court [Photo & video by Park Sae-jin]
Rare seafood is displayed on PK Market's basement fishery section. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
A rare tropical fruit like durian is available at the PK Market [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
The Eatopia food court occupies a big corner on the third floor with 18 restaurants.
On the basement floor sits the PK Market filled with fresh meat, seafood and other reserves which are almost impossible to find in other South Korean malls.
"We aim to provide a different kind of service at the PK Market -- a premium service for food lovers," a market manager told Aju News.
[Photo by Park Sae-jin ]
Genesis' yet-to-be-launched G80 Sport [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
A visitor to the Genesis Showroom tests the premium sedan EQ900. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
The second floor is a battlefield for Hyundai Motor and other famous carmakers to attract car lovers.
Hyundai's luxury car brand Genesis has established its first showroom where visitors can get a glimpse of its G90, G80, and its yet-to-be-launched G80 Sport. Visitors can also test-drive vehicles and receive consultations about purchases.
[Photo by Park Sae-jin]
US Luxury motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson opened a flagship store to sell a Starfield-exclusive model and various fashion accessories associated with the brand.
A couple test Mini at BMW's Mini showroom. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
Next door is Asia’s first joint showroom for two popular car brands, BMW and MINI, which provides a one-stop consulting station and also sells items such as backpacks and key chains.
Salarymen Choo Hyun-woo and Roh Sung-rae both in their early thirties took a one-day break to inspect the complex. "We love cars, so we decided to visit the mall," said Choo. "This is like a heaven for car lovers. We've been looking at Mini, BMW, and Genesis for hours."
In between high-end fashion labels, the much-buzzed-about showroom of US electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors is empty on the second floor as it will open in November.
US electric vehicle maker Tesla is set to open a showroom in Starfield in November. [Photo by Park Sae-jin ]
[Photo by Park Sae-jin ]
[Photo and video by Park Sae-jin ]
Visitors can enjoy dynamic or relaxing activities in an indoor and outdoor waterpark on the third and fourth floors as well as the top penthouse floor. The two-story water park which can be entered from the third floor has a swimming pool, a waterslide, an outdoor Jacuzzi and eight traditional Korean saunas called jjimjilbangs.
"We plan to limit the number of people using pool facilities to about 1,000
at a time to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable environment," Lim said. "Tthe outdoor pool will be available for poolside parties and group uses at evening."
[Photo by Park Eun-joo / Video by Park Sae-jin]
A visitor tries a VR machine in the Sports Monster indoor gym. [Photo by Park Eun-joo]
On the penthouse floor was a sports and entertainment arena called "Sports Monster" with 30 types of recreational activities such as basketball, rope climbing, and trampolines.
From kids wearing electronic gears for a virtual workout to boys playing basketball on a court using light emitting diodes to show the half-court line, the zone is equipped with facilities that have gone better with IT technology. More extreme sports such as wall climbing, ropes, and bike racing are available as well.
An instructor demonstrates pillar-climbing at Starfield's Sports Monster indoor gym. [Photo by Park Eun-joo]
Young startup entrepreneurs prepare to sell their ideas and merchandises. [Photo by Park Sae-jin]
Starfield provides a special place for young dreamers at its "START up SPACE" filled with 12 startup brands chosen from the students of entrepreneurship courses at the Korea Small Business & Medium Business Corp. This place is free to use for the chosen startups, but after a year, they should leave for other new startups.
Aju News Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
