Both fashionable and structurally sound
Back in November 2021, a curious formation popped up at the foothills of the Hallasan volcano on Jeju Island, South Korea. It was a stepped structure, with an undulating façade clad in a mirrored polycarbonate material. Viewed from above, it resembled a futuristic recreation of the majestic natural landform that it stood in the shadows of.
The structure was Burberry’s Imagined Landscapes pop-up store, part of a series of showcases for the brand’s outerwear collection held around the world.
Inspired by the contour lines used on topographic maps to indicate elevation, the store was conceived as more than just a building; it was also meant to be a topographic sculpture. Reflected in the building’s façade were the surrounding hills, the endless expanses of cultivated land, and the sky above. Burberry said that it wanted to blur the lines between nature and technology, the indoors and outdoors, the real and the imagined, and it achieved exactly that.
The brand’s vision was recognised on 15 December last year at the prestigious Prix Versailles, an architecture and design award that gives recognition to projects that uphold certain principles as set out by the United Nations – including innovation, reflection of local heritage, sustainability, and social impact. Burberry’s Imagined Landscapes store emerged as one of the 24 award winners selected out of 94 finalists.
To do its part for its host nation, and the Hallasan National Park where its pop-up store was located, the British heritage brand has embarked on a five-year partnership with non-profit organisation Jeju Olle Foundation. The collaboration will see Burberry commit to helping to preserve the environment of Jeju Island, so that generations to come may continue to enjoy its natural beauty.
