With a brief to introduce the most innovative and interactive features ever before seen in Korea, the Lotte World Mall development by Benoy Architecture, Planning, Interiors and Graphics in collaboration with Interface, have crafted the world’s first interactive flooring.
Billed as “one of the most anticipated and talked about developments in Korea,” Benoy’s associate director, Heeri Song said the introduction of “innovative and interactive features not yet seen on the same scale in the country,” presented an exciting challenge in design for the Lotte World Mall project.
Sculptural GRG ceilings, illuminated timber walls, prominent motif lighting and pocket outdoor gardens have added to the profile of the development as a modern city landmark. Given the scale of Lotte World Mall, the design of the public areas; the areas where people naturally converge, was critical.
Song explains: “We featured a number of design elements to ensure that these spaces were memorable and unique. Driven to create pockets of surprise, we introduced woven textiles to the flooring design in a variety of colours and patterns to accentuate different areas of the mall. Linking the transitional spaces between escalators are sections of the carpet tiles, which at times appear with large arrow graphics to highlight major thoroughfares. On the fourth floor, designated for family retailing, carpet is used throughout, creating a comfortable and playful haven for children.”
The Benoy design team was looking for suitable carpet range to cover the entire floor surface of the fourth floor, which hosts “home and kids” related shops. “The research found that in carpeted malls, people tend to stay longer as they feel less tired and kids can play around without worrying about slipping on hard surfaces,” notes Song.
“We wanted to use a mix of neutral tones as a base and have zones with vivid accent colours to reflect the playful mood of the shops. After extensive research by our team of designers, we found that Interface carpet offered a range of rich vibrant tones that are not often available at other carpet manufacturers and that are also suitable to use in high-trafficked shopping malls. We were specifically looking for carpet tiles instead of rolls as any severe damage to the carpet can be easily fixed. With all these design and maintenance requirements, we were thrilled to find a suitable match with the Interface collection.”
