FEZH opens in Hannam-dong as a ‘city within a city’ blending healing, community and brand experiences

FEZH, a new multi-purpose space in Seoul’s Hannam-dong, opened in 2024 as a ‘city within a city’ designed to foster healing, community and curated brand experiences. According to VentureSquare, the project was conceived by digital marketing agency digitalDigm, which has worked with brands including Samsung Asset Management, SK Telecom, Subway, Jaguar Land Rover and Hancom. The 4,000-square-meter venue integrates analog materials such as brick and wood with natural light and ventilation, and features a café, gallery, yoga and meditation studios, a jazz lounge, a market square and flexible event areas. The space is positioned not as a pivot away from digital but as a physical manifestation of digitalDigm’s accumulated experience in creating digital and offline brand touchpoints.

The concept emerged from shifts in work culture before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. digitalDigm had already experimented with digital nomad work across South Korea, China and Southeast Asia, operating hubs in Jeju, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Hua Hin. After the pandemic reduced daily office attendance to less than 20% of pre-COVID levels, founder Lim Jong-hyun reimagined the Hannam-dong office as a place for rest, gathering and shared experience rather than a traditional workplace. The redesign retained the building’s shell but reconfigured its interior to invite local residents, brands and creators, creating what Lim describes as a ‘small city within Hannam-dong.’

FEZH’s operating philosophy centers on ‘healing’ and ‘community,’ drawing inspiration from spaces like Bangkok’s The Commons. Rather than chasing footfall through short-term pop-ups, the venue prioritizes repeat visits by curating programs for core audiences already living and working nearby. Lim highlights Hannam-dong’s mix of residents, office workers, foreigners and artists, favoring sustained relationships over mass traffic. The name FEZH blends ‘Fes’—a Moroccan medina Lim visited—with ‘Healing’ and ‘Hannam,’ symbolizing a dense, layered urban experience. Floors host yoga and meditation, rotating exhibitions, live music, a café and market square, with flexible programming that allows one area to host multiple activities over time.

Technology is embedded behind the scenes to refine operations without disrupting the analog atmosphere. Sensors and digital controls adjust lighting and sound based on time-of-day footfall patterns, while data on visitor movement, heatmaps and conversion rates inform program planning and content strategy. AI analyzes on-site behavior to shape future offerings, though the goal is for technology to remain invisible while supporting human-centered experiences. Brands including Volvo, Piaget, Loewe, Elle, Allo, On and LG U+ have used FEZH for customer engagements that emphasize depth of interaction over brief exposure.

FEZH’s ethos is encapsulated in the phrase ‘Be Gentle with the Earth,’ interpreted as respect for the planet, the human body, pets, neighbors and colleagues. The space serves not only brands but also artists, freelancers and startups, hosting classes, talks, exhibitions and performances that seed ongoing collaborations. By prioritizing repeat visits over one-time footfall, FEZH aims to become a ‘home base’ rather than a fleeting hotspot, with AI and data supporting the human connections at its core.