Hyundai Livart to supply Italian luxury kitchen furniture to 5,000-unit Banpo reconstruction complex

Hyundai Livart is pushing deeper into the high-end built-in market by supplying Italian premium kitchen furniture to a large-scale reconstruction complex in Banpo, Seoul.

The company announced Monday that Valcucine, an Italian kitchen furniture brand it exclusively distributes in South Korea, has been selected as one of the kitchen furniture suppliers for Banpo The H Classit in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Banpo The H Classit is a reconstruction project covering sections 1, 2 and 4 of the Banpo Jugong 1 complex, set to rise to a maximum of 35 stories across 50 buildings with 5,002 units. The project carries a total cost of around 10 trillion won ($6.94 billion), with Hyundai E&C serving as sole contractor. Selection of kitchen furniture and other key interior materials is currently underway.

Valcucine is regarded alongside Boffi and Bulthaup as one of the world's top luxury kitchen furniture brands. The brand is known for its ergonomic design and use of materials rarely seen in conventional kitchens, including glass and titanium.

Its products feature ultra-thin 2-millimeter kitchen doors, furniture made from recyclable aluminum and silent automatic-opening door systems. The brand operates around 300 stores across more than 50 countries, with showrooms in Milan, Paris, New York and Berlin.

Hyundai Livart signed an exclusive domestic distribution agreement with Valcucine in 2023. Since then, it has introduced signature models including Artematica and Logica Celata to the Korean market and opened a flagship store on the furniture strip in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

From the outset of the Valcucine partnership, the company set expansion into the B2B built-in market — targeting reconstruction and redevelopment projects as well as upscale residential developments — as a key goal alongside its retail B2C business. The latest selection as a supplier converts its imported kitchen furniture distribution into a contract for a large-scale residential project for the first time.

Aran Cucine, another Italian premium kitchen furniture brand distributed by Hyundai Livart, will also supply the Banpo The H Classit complex. Founded in 1962, Aran Cucine handles the entire process — from design and production to assembly — in Italy.

In the construction and interior industry, the premium race among Gangnam-area reconstruction complexes is spreading into the market for interior materials such as kitchen furniture, bathroom fittings and finishing materials. As construction companies strengthen their own high-end residential brands and association members push for overseas luxury brands, furniture companies are investing heavily in securing imported labels and winning built-in contracts.

"As the kitchen has recently established itself as the defining space that reflects the quality of a home, demand for premium kitchen furniture is growing," said Kang Min-su, head of Hyundai Livart's business solutions division. "We will raise customer satisfaction by leveraging our product portfolio and interior design capabilities."