With the growth of experiential consumption—where customers engage with a brand’s values and story beyond its products—physical spaces have become increasingly important. While many companies develop branded venues, Hyundai Card has extended the idea to entire districts.
The “District” extends to street performances, pop-up experiences, and collaborations with local shops and eateries, offering a festival-like atmosphere in the area.
The company, known for distinctive design applied across everything from credit cards to libraries, carries that approach into urban space.
In the bustling Seoul neighborhood of Itaewon, a cluster of Hyundai Card venues between Hangangjin and Itaewon stations has come to be known as the “Hyundai Card District.”
It includes the Music Library, focused on vinyl records; the Art Library, dedicated to contemporary works; Understage, a live performance venue; Vinyl & Plastic, a record store with more than 40,000 LPs, CDs, and cassettes; and Storage, an experimental exhibition space.
During September, the area also hosts “Hyundai Card DaVinci MOTEL,” a festival of performances, listening sessions, and talks.
Apgujeong, in the Gangnam district of Seoul, hosts another Hyundai Card District. Its newest venue is the MoMA Bookstore at Hyundai Card—the first of its kind worldwide—reflecting the company’s partnership with the Museum of Modern Art.
The store carries more than 200 MoMA titles, along with design products and digital content linked to current exhibitions. The district also includes the Cooking Library, reopened in June after renovation, which combines reading and cooking; Iron & Wood, a golf space for premium cardholders; and Red 11, a brandy-focused venue.
Hyundai Card Districts and Urban Identity
Hyundai Card’s spaces are designed to present the company’s values through music, art, and cuisine, positioning its brand as part of lifestyle rather than transaction. Venues in Itaewon and Apgujeong have influenced the character of their neighborhoods and, by extension, the perception of the brand itself.
In Itaewon, Hyundai Card’s focus on music and art aligns with nearby galleries and performance spaces, reinforcing the district’s cultural role. In Apgujeong, an emphasis on cuisine and design complements the area’s concentration of restaurants and high-end retail.
DaVinci MOTEL illustrates this impact, evolving from a corporate initiative into a festival embraced by the Itaewon community. Its program spans performances, workshops, and business sessions, with events staged across the neighborhood in partnership with local businesses.
Hyundai Card as Urban Planner
In their release, Hyundai Card cites Winston Churchill once remarked, “We shape our buildings, and thereafter they shape us,” underscoring the influence of architecture and space. The Hyundai Card Districts in Itaewon and Apgujeong reflect this idea, seeking to move beyond branding to function as urban planning projects.
As the brand said in a release, branded spaces can “move beyond simple promotion to take on the role of urban planning.”
The next time you’re in Seoul, have a look around Itaewon and Apgujeong to see Hyundai Card’s creative approach to brand building.
