As the name, ‘Voco’ has been originated from the Latin word, ‘to invite,' Studio Eccentric has thought Voco Seoul Gangnam’s own unique ‘invite’ of captivating the vibrant energy and the sophisticated mood in considering the location where the hotel is, in the heart of Gangnam District, South Korea. As once the song, ‘Gangnam Style’ has struck not only domestically but also internationally worldwide, Gangnam has been definitely a place where culture and entertainment merge together to form a very bold and contemporary experience.

 This has been expressed as sleek yet bold, sometimes chic and warm at the same time, resembling as the current image of Gangnam reflects the Seoul’s past and the future. In considering the hotel’s unique location, the designer has sought to reinterpret various aspects of the present-day Gangnam in the concept wording under, ‘The Modern Gangnam.’ Seventeen-storied Voco Seoul Gangnam is located by the main Dosan-daero Road of Seoul, just across the Garosu Street where it is famous for its shopping and commercial shops for tourists. When the guests enter the hotel by the escalator from the road, they are greeted by the main public area of lobby and all-day dining restaurant. 

The design team has proposed to merge the two areas for the guests to experience as a large one whole; only one see-through partition wall separates the reception and the bar, and the lounge seating and communal area in between make the guest freely enjoy the space without any boundaries. When thinking of Gangnam, one of the images that easily come through our mind is the show windows and the showcases of the boutique shops along the shopping streets. The designer has imagined this to resemble as ‘Chaek Ga Do’, one of old Chosun Dynasty paintings, which has been expressed of bookshelves with variety of object and items that the scholars have cherished back then; this has been reinterpreted in the design of the partitions that continue around the public areas, and this has been applied to the ceiling piece as well which goes across from the lobby to the restaurant, connecting as an one open public area. 

Having Voco’s signature color, yellow and navy, expressed in furniture and spatial elements has given additional layers of vibrant mood, and the artists, Casper Kang and Jungmo Kwon have reinterpreted traditionional Korean aspects in modern touch with their artworks and lighting pieces. For total of 151 guestrooms, Studio Eccentric has created colorful and vibrant rooms inspired by Gangnam energy. With variety of forms and colors, the rooms are expressed in Gangnam characteristics, in which are harmonized among bold contrast. 

In addition, bed headboards have been designed in unique touch with reinterpreted fabric pattern of waterfall image captured from the painting, ‘Jin Gyeong San Suhwa’ by Jungsun from Chosun Dynasty of seventeen century; efforts have been made trying to tie the locality of this hotel in a new manner.