| Title |
Spatial Characteristics of Vernacular Design in Flagship Stores |
| Authors |
권슬빈(Kwon, Seulbin) ; 김동헌(Kim, Donghun) ; 윤성호(Yoon, Sungho) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.14774/JKIID.2026.35.4.193 |
| Keywords |
Flagship Store; Vernacular Design; Place Branding; Locality |
| Abstract |
As retail spaces evolve into narrative environments, flagship stores serve as vital platforms for expressing brand identity. A significant challenge for local and global brands is integrating their core identities with the diverse cultural and physical contexts of individual local markets. This study explores vernacular design?a methodological approach to incorporating local topography, climate, historical memory, and living culture?as a spatial strategy to achieve this integration. Through a literature review and a case analysis of four flagship stores in Seoul?Sulwhasoo Bukchon, Amorepacific Seongsu, Wooyoungmi Itaewon, and Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul?this study develops an analytical framework based on three dimensions: natural-environmental adaptation, socio-cultural inheritance, and lifestyle-cultural reflection. Addressing the lack of systematic analysis of vernacular design in commercial spaces, the findings reveal that vernacular design operates across two distinct strategies: an intrinsic approach, which directly absorbs the physical and historical fabric of the site, and an extrinsic approach, which interprets and abstracts local culture from an outside perspective, shaped by the brand’s national origin, design authorship, and urban context. Ultimately, this study confirms that regionality in commercial spatial design is not merely decorative, but a substantive driver of spatial differentiation and the tangible embodiment of placeness in contemporary brand-consumer relationships. |