CHAGEE Flagship Store

Located in the vibrant commercial district of Gangnam, Seoul, this 350-square-metre flagship store marks CHAGEE’s first entry into the Korean market. AplusO translated the brand’s contemporary tea culture into a spatial experience that resonates with local sensibilities while maintaining a strong connection to its origins.
With a generous ceiling height of six metres, the space is conceived as an immersive environment centred around the ritual of tea-making. At the heart of the interior sits a centralized, oval-shaped bar—both a functional workspace and a symbolic stage—where the process of preparing tea becomes the focal point of the customer experience. This central gesture organizes the entire layout, encouraging visitors to circulate, observe, and engage with the craft.
The design draws inspiration from the intertwined narratives of tea and silk—two materials historically associated with cultural exchange, refinement, and sensory richness. This concept is translated into a layered spatial language through the use of soft, flowing forms, tactile materials, and subtle transitions of light and texture. The bar, as the core element, embodies this duality: precise yet fluid, contemporary yet rooted in tradition.
Recognizing this store as CHAGEE’s first in Korea, AplusO integrates local elements to ground the brand within its new context. Rather than applying overtly traditional motifs, the design adopts a more interpretive approach—blending materiality, proportion, and spatial rhythm inspired by Korean aesthetics with CHAGEE’s established identity. This results in a space that feels both globally consistent and locally attuned.
Ultimately, the project goes beyond a conventional retail environment. It is conceived as a cultural interface where visitors can experience tea not only as a product, but as a process, a ritual, and a shared moment—reinforcing CHAGEE’s commitment to elevating tea culture through design.