The coolest new attraction in South Korea’s capital does away with conventional shopping through a retro-futuristic style.

*Left to right:* Inside the Gentle Monster showroom at Haus Nowhere Seoul; a Nuflaat tableware display. (All photos courtesy of Haus Nowhere Seoul)

Cult Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster may have won fans for its avant-garde designs and celebrity tie-ups, but it’s upped the ante since 2021 by rethinking the retail experience at locations dubbed “Haus Nowhere.” On the heels of finding success in Seoul’s Dosan area, Shenzhen, and Shanghai, its most ambitious project yet, Haus Nowhere Seoul, has just opened in the city’s Seongsu-dong neighborhood.

Haus Nowhere’s multistory flagship is a brutalist sci-fi fantasy that defies categorization. Part store, part contemporary art gallery, the place is a futuristic anchor for the headquarters of parent company IICombined. A giant dachshund installation welcomes visitors into a ground-floor space dedicated to campaigns from IICombined’s brands; the enormous puppy helps promote the Sunshine collection from fragrance house Tamburins, with an AI-powered photo booth allowing pooch and shopper to be dressed in matching outfits. Above the Gentle Monster showroom, you’ll find a space shared by Tamburins and two new brands: Atiissu for edgy hats and Nuflaat for tableware with a bold, surrealist look.

And if you fancy a bite or a cuppa, the fifth-floor Nudake Teahouse pairs a dozen specially developed scented teas with playful desserts. Expect off-the-wall flavor combinations—lobster and chocolate, anyone?—and presentation as head-turning as the vivid theatrical surroundings.

Max Siedentopf’s More Is More installation outside the Haus Nowhere building. — Max Siedentopf’s *More Is More* installation outside the Haus Nowhere building.

Gentle Monster’s second-floor showroom at Haus Nowhere Seoul features robots and giant figures. — Gentle Monster’s second-floor showroom features robots and giant figures.

The retail spaces at Haus Nowhere Seoul come adorned with thought-provoking artworks.

This article originally appeared in the October/November 2025 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Haus Proud”). Buy a single issue or subscribe here.

Haus Nowhere Seoul is Rewriting the Retail Playbook

Stay inspired with our DestinAsian newsletters