Press Release
21 Gram Co, Ltd. Receives the Silver A' Design Award for Ktown4u Commercial Space in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
The international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes 21 Gram Co, Ltd. for interior space and exhibition design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category for Ktown4u Commercial Space by 21 Gram Co, Ltd., designed for 21Gram. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
More About Ktown4u Commercial Space
The Ktown4u Coex store is themed Journey to the New Kpop Universe and represents a space journey toward the Ktown4u planet, the landmark of Kpop. It is a process of traveling freely between stars, getting closer to one's star. The design boldly uses primitive and simple materials such as metal, lighting, and stone spray, while incorporating the geometric meanings of curves and straight lines to express an elemental cosmic space. The movable walls and furniture create various spatial transformations, allowing global fans to have experiences.
About 21 Gram Co, Ltd.
Design can be defined as a culture that goes beyond the pursuit of external beauty, a concept that is not unfamiliar, as it is something many people discuss and resonate with. For 21gram, design is not defined by temporal divisions such as past or present, but by the historical discoveries and humanistic records embedded in places and cultures. 21gram is a design group made up of individuals with diverse personalities, all of whom are more interested in the culture experienced through the senses than in the form or concept of objects, evolving through opinions and discussions. Design is the process and result of the intersection of our perspectives and aesthetic opinions.
Award Record
With this recognition, 21 Gram Co, Ltd. is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in the 2024 - 2025 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/166981
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/166981
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!166981
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/358280
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.21-gram.kr/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Ktown4u Commercial Space
- Function
- Commercial Space
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Images
- 5
- Client
- 21Gram
The Recognition
- Laureate
- 21 Gram Co, Ltd.
- Country
- Republic of Korea
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #166981
Credits
- Team
- Seungman lee and Sebin choi
- Image Credits
- 5: Photographer Sunhyeok Jang, 2023
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Ktown4u, which connects global international fans with kpop artists, offers not only product consumption such as albums, videos, photo content, goods, and events, but also the enjoyment and diverse experiences of cultural content like exhibitions and pop-up stores. The Ktown4u COEX store, themed "Journey to New kpop Universe," portrays the cosmic journey to the Ktown4u planet, the holy land of kpop.
- Inspiration
- Countless global fans heading toward the Ktown4u planet, the holy land of kpop, embark on a journey through a cosmic space made of raw and refined materials. As they travel through the vast universe filled with countless stars, they grow closer to their favorite kpop artists. The space boldly incorporates primitive and simple materials, led by metal, lighting, and stone spray coating, while expressing the primordial cosmic space through the geometric significance of curves and straight lines.
- Research
- Countless global fans wish to experience Kpop artists more closely. Both the artist and outer space share the significance of being visible yet an unknown world. At Ktown4u, it was hoped that global fans would feel a closer connection to the artists as they travel through the cosmic space. The space is centered around the theme of space travel, offering various spatial configurations and programs. The popup and exhibition spaces, composed of movable walls and modular furniture, promote the experience of diverse cultural content. Stone, mirrors, lighting, and metal finishes embody the primal feeling of the universe, reminding visitors that they are on a cosmic journey.
- Challenge
- Spaces that handle cultural content should enable diverse experiences. These experiences should not be uniform, and while not distracting from the focus on the content, they should leave a lasting, special impression. Based on the concept of space travel, the design process involved setting up programs, zoning, and material selection, while ensuring that the space also remained faithful to its original functional purpose.
- Realization and Technology
- The rough stone finish with a matte coating expresses the image of outer space that retains the primal form of the universe. The mirrors, designated as part of the finish, represent small universes with the essence of infinity, and lighting was arranged alongside metal elements to visualize the cosmic space that can only be filled with light. The modular furniture and movable walls in the popup zone present various possibilities for the structure of the space.
- Operation and Interaction
- In addition to the enjoyment of consuming content, Ktown4u offers a unique experience of traveling through space. It stands out not only by encouraging consumption but also by providing a variety of content and experiences. The diverse programs, along with the movable walls and modular furniture, expand the infinite possibilities of the space. Ktown4u aims for customers to naturally explore every corner of the space, following the flow presented by the environment, and have a joyful encounter with kpop artists.
- Project Duration and Location
- Ktown4u is located in Samseongdong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The project underwent a three-month design period, and after the completion of interior construction in April 2023, it has been operational ever since.
- Specifications
- 2nd floor: 695 square meter 4th floor: 1060 square meter
- Keywords
- Korea, Seoul, interior, cafe, Kpop, 21gram, commercial, space, cosmos, exhibition, popup
