Samsung KX, London
The Project
In September 2019, Portview completed a state-of-the-art brand experience space for tech giant, Samsung, in the heart of King’s Cross, London.
Located within the iconic ‘kissing point’ of the two curved rooftops in the new Coal Drops Yard development, Samsung KX is a showcase that’s packed with cutting-edge tech innovations and bespoke, one-of-a-kind fixtures and fittings.
With Portview appointed as the main contractor, the project team consisted of Cheil who worked with Samsung to deliver Samsung KX, and design studios Brinkworth and KSS.
Scope of Works
The new 20,000 sq ft showcase boasts a number of bespoke design features that are the first of their kind, including:
– an architectural lighting frame embedded within the sales floor to create a curved, illuminated arc in both the east and west ceilings
– the world’s first 10-metre-wide Samsung curved screen
The new showcase boasts ample natural light and stunning views overlooking the Coal Drops Yard with floor to ceiling glazing that spans the entire façade.
Inside, the space is carefully detailed with premium finishes such as porcelain flooring, a custom engineered steel roof, solid oak furniture and aluminium mosaic tiles, to give it a distinct edge that’s reminiscent of a contemporary London loft.
Samsung KX also features a prominent crystal acrylic installation from Korean designer, Saerom Yoon, representing the brand’s heritage in Seoul. The ‘Blue Pillar’ design purposefully replicates a watercolour painting through his use of carefully selected gradient tones and natural textures to provide a light ambiance within the space.
The sheer size of Samsung KX required huge amounts of skill and effort from over 600 project team members to coordinate the installation of bespoke fixtures and materials from across Europe. This included the installation of:
• 62 tonnes of bespoke ceramic tile flooring
• 65 dB rated walls.
• The world’s first curved Screenmax screen, consisting of 168 cabinets and 1,008 LED tiles
• 774 data points connected with 36 miles of cabling
• 320Kw of cooling capacity
• 1 sq km of insulation
– 220 individual bespoke light fittings, each capable of being remotely controlled up to 50m away.
Free interactive experiences in Samsung KX include:
– Digital Cockpit: The world’s first connected driving experience that brings to life the future of automotive through virtual reality. Guests can explore revolutionary in-car features that allows the driver to control the radio simply by saying phrases such as ‘play next song’ and includes a memory system that alerts the driver when they are distracted or drowsy.
– Galaxy Graffiti: Guests can virtually make their mark on the 10metre-wide screen across a range of digital London backdrops and share their creations on social media as a memento of their visit.
– DJ Galaxy: For the aspiring musicians, this unique DJ booth experience teaches guests to create, perform and record bespoke beats with the tap of a Samsung smartphone.
– AR Message Tree: Guests can leave AR notes under the ‘kissing point’ of the space for others to unfold.
– 3D ME & Collage Me: Those wanting to push the boundaries of self-expression can create and take away their very own free mini 3D figure or even turn a selfie into a unique, personalised collage to share on social media.
– In-house Café: Locals can escape from the office and hotdesk, or get together with friends, over a specialty Origin coffee.
Challenges
A project of this size and calibre always presents new challenges. In this case, the most difficult challenge was working around the complex parabolic ceiling. To navigate this, Portview worked very closely with KSS Design Group to install a height adaptable monolithic system that allowed the team to prefabricate troughs to house the electrical and mechanical services within the complex structure.