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Hyped skateboarding and streetwear brand Palace opened its sixth store worldwide in Seoul, South Korea this month. So, why’re we talking about it on Time Out London? Well, a quick look inside the popular apparel shop will give you an idea why.
The South Korean capital’s new store has been modeled after London’s iconic South Bank skatepark. Palace founders and pals Lev Tanju and Gareth Skewis commissioned designer Steve Oh to take on the ambitious project, which intends to pay homage to the skate spot that largely inspired their successful brand (which now has an estimated net worth of over £15 million).
In an interview with Wallpaper*, Tanju explained the personal significance of London’s well-known skatepark: ‘I spent so many years there… I met so many people there and Palace wouldn’t exist without Southbank’. As a result, the new store features wood-textured concrete columns reminiscent of those found at South Bank, while the characteristic concrete block benches have been refashioned in a bougie maroon marble (have a peek below).
The store’s floor-to-ceiling glass front mirrors the sunken entrance of the South Bank skatepark, which sits beneath another iconic brutalist London landmark, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
The new store opened on February 8, and it’s Palace’s second Seoul store. If you’re ever in the South Korean capital, you’ll find the South Bank-inspired shop in Mapo-gu. Here are more pics of the place.
Fancy a pilgrimage to the original London skatepark? Our South Bank area guide is brimming with great boozers and eateries for refuelling after you shred those iconic ramps.
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