Starfield COEX Mall

Starfield COEX Mall (formerly known as COEX Mall), containing COnvention centers, EXhibition halls and many malls, is an underground shopping mall in Gangnam-gu Seoul, South Korea. It has an area of about 154,000 square metres, of which 144,000 are on a single underground floor, making it the world's largest underground shopping mall.[1] The mall is located at Samseong-dong served by Samseong Station on Seoul Metro Line 2, at the intersection of Teheranno and Yeongdong Dae-ro. The COEX Mall is adjacent to the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center, which is part of the COEX complex, run by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).

Starfield COEX Mall
Hangul
Revised RomanizationKoekseu Mol
McCune–ReischauerK'oekseu Mol
COEX Mall Central Plaza Atrium in 2016, it changed to Starfield Library in 2017
COEX Mall Live Plaza
SMTOWN COEX Artium
View of the COEX from the nearby Bongeunsa Temple

Along with hundreds of shops, the mall houses two food courts, MegaBox (cinema), COEX Aquarium and a large bookstore, but the Kimchi Fields Museum has moved to Insadong. It features a game area that is used to film computer game tournaments, which are broadcast on local television. There are stages inside and outside the mall for seasonal events and public appearances by celebrities. Millennium Square is the main exit of COEX Mall connecting with Line 2's Samseong Station. Metro Seoul gimpo airport express line Bongeunsa station in the north.

History

The mall was originally developed by investments from the Korea International Trade Association. COEX Mall was designed by the US interior design company RTKL. COEX Mall was also designed by Gensler, under the theme "Unfolding Sky", emphasizing seamless flow and openness. Construction of the mall began on May, 1997 and finished in April, 2000. Construction costs amounted to ₩140 billion (US$150 million ).[2]

Location

The Coex Mall is located at Seoul Gangnam-gu Yeongdong-daero 513(Samseong dong). This mall is connected the Samseong Station on Seoul Metro Line 2 and Bongeunsa Station on Seoul Metro Line 9. Chungdahm Station Line 7 is next to COEX Mall, as is World Trade Center Seoul.[3]

COEX Mall renovation

In May, 2012, KITA (Korea International Trade Association) announced major renovation plans for the mall. It will spend ₩180 billion to the upgrade project. The renovation is needed to create passenger walkways between the new Bongeunsa Station on Seoul Subway Line 9, due for completion in 2014, with Samseong Station on Line 2. It was scheduled to start at the end of 2012 and complete by November, 2014. The floor space is expected to increased to 173,025 square metres (206,936 square yards) from its current 152,116 square metres (181,929 square yards).[4]

The COEX complex renovation was completed on 27 November 2014.

Venues

Plazas

The mall features five plazas: the Central Plaza, Live Plaza, Millennium Plaza, Asem Plaza, and Airport Plaza.

Byeolmadang library
2nd floor of Byeolmadang library

The library has 50,000 books, 600 magazines, and offers e-books. In addition, it serves as an event center, intended to host talk shows with authors, lectures with intellectuals and personalities, and concerts.[5]

  • Asem Plaza
  • Central Plaza Access
  • Airport Plaza Restaurants
  • Megabox Cinema
  • COEX Aquarium

See also

References
  1. COEX Mall Seoul Metropolitan Government
  2. 동양최대 지하쇼핑몰 '코엑스몰' 3일 개관 , 매일 경제
  3. COEX MALL website
  4. "COEX Mall to get a major expansion by 2014". Joongang Daily. 16 May 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  5. "별마당 도서관 | 스타필드 코엑스몰". www.starfield.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-05-04.

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