Plastic fantastic: Wallpaper* visits Seoul’s latest music hub, Vinyl & Plastic

Itaewon, a thriving inner-city district of the South Korean capital of Seoul, sees an exciting new addition to its vibrant scene – the Vinyl & Plastic store. Opening its doors a few weeks ago, the neighbourhood's newest music hub comes courtesy of the country's leading credit card issuer, Hyundai Card, and provides the city's residents with the perfect spot in which to browse music, enjoy a coffee, sit back and relax.
Vinyl & Plastic is strategically positioned next to another of Hyundai Card’s cultural ventures – the Music Library, which houses over 10,000 records and some 3,000 music-related books. But unlike the Music Library – which is exclusively accessible only to those who possess a Hyundai Card – Vinyl & Plastic is open to all.
The store boasts an impressively-curated collection of media, containing over 4,000 vinyl LPs and 8,000 CDs, covering a wide variety of musical genres.
Featuring an exterior designed by young local architecture firm Samuso Hyojadong, the structure spans three floors and also contains the exhibition space on the lower ground floor. The space, titled Storage will show a selection of contemporary pieces from a variety of disciplines, spanning art, film, architecture and design.
Instead of completely altering the pre-existing structure on site, Hyundai Card made sure that its original façade and materials still have a presence in the new scheme. The architects aimed to remove ‘the weight of the façade’ by adding an 8m-high metal and glass frame. This gesture provides exposure and a new identity for the store, but also ensures an abundance of light flowing through its interiors.
The store boasts an impressively-curated collection of media, containing over 4,000 vinyl LPs and 8,000 CDs, covering a wide variety of musical genres
The basement of Vinyl & Plastic will be used as a multifunctional exhibition space, showing a selection of contemporary pieces from a variety of disciplines, spanning art, film, architecture and design
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Vinyl & Plastic website
ADDRESS
Vinyl & Plastic
248 Itaewonro
Yongsangu
Seoul
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