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Architects: The Sup
- Area: 891 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Yunpyo Hong
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Lead Architects: Jooho Lee
Text description provided by the architects. It is a project to remodel a building that has been used as a sauna for a long time and turn it into a cafe. It aimed to create a better space by utilizing steel-frame structures and existing trees that feel the passage of time. To distinguish visually unnecessary elements, the space was divided by building walls. Cherry blossom trees that are in full bloom in spring and zelkova trees that are autumn leaves are preserved to give a sense of season.
Palgongsan Mountain was used as the design language. It is visible from the target site and is a famous mountain in Korea, providing an exotic experience where you can feel Mother Nature in your daily life. It was intended to provide a space where you can enjoy nature leisurely so that you can penetrate the concept of the cafe's name, 'Slow but better.' A triangular structure with different heights was created and finished with grass to express the image of a chakchupsan Mountain surrounding Palgongsan Mountain.
Line lighting was inserted into the corners of each structure to emphasize the appearance of the night view. During the day, you can wrap around the mountains formed by slopes finished with grass and mirrors, and at night, you can appreciate the mountain range only with lines. It was intended to feel like a piece of work on an unusual scale.
Each triangular structure is organically connected through a long table, and the table is designed to hold water in the shape of a flowing river in a mountain valley. Visitors can focus on the space while appreciating the sky projected on the surface of the calm water contained in the table.
The space was expanded by leaving only the steel frame and roof of the building, which were previously used as a sauna. The triangular structure in the space without sunlight was finished with a mirror, not a lawn. The reason is that the growth of the grass was expected to be poor, so other finishing materials were needed. Instead of grass, a mirror is selected to create an industrial feeling and a harmonious object, and insufficient illuminance is filled with the light reflected by the mirror to provide an exotic view.
