Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, the renowned fine-dining establishment that has been awarded a Michelin star, first opened in Florence, Italy in 2018. Gucci Osteria’s debut location is helmed by noted chef Massimo Bottura. Since its opening in 2018, the Italian fashion house has expanded its restaurants to two additional locations in Beverly Hills, California in 2020 and Ginza, Tokyo in 2021. Now, Gucci has announced new plans to launch its fourth Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in the recently opened Gucci Gaok (Gucci House) flagship store in Seoul’s dynamic Itaewon district. Since the menus at the various locations of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura reflect the local cuisine, it is anticipated that the new Itaewon restaurant will include dishes that appeal to the Korean palate. The new Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura restaurant is expected to open sometime in 2022.
The stunning façade of Gucci Gaok, called “Hwan” (Illusion), was designed by noted Korean artist and sculptor Seungmo Park. It depicts a dark forest that is meant to illustrate “the illusion of Nature.” His inspiration for the Gucci project was rooted in the growing pervasiveness of environmental pollution. According to Park, “I felt compelled to shed some light on the value of the environment with the motif of a forest and trees.” The intricate façade consists of more than 100 steel panels, each of which is composed of 13 layers.