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Architects: LABOTORY
- Area: 135 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Yong Joon Choi
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Manufacturers: Benjamin Moore, Dongnam Furniture, Hanji, Sambe, TERRACO
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Lead Architects: Park Kee Min, Jung Jin Ho
Text description provided by the architects. SAEM Café has a tranquil and a strong feeling at once. The neat structure and natural colors are combined and finally be an SAEM Cafe as a traditional Korean garden. Labotory chooses a Soswaewon, Gwanpunggak Pavilion which is one of the Three Great Gardens of South Korea as design motifs. As a result, SAEM Café intrigue to users by providing comfort and calm feeling open space to communicate and interact each other.
The stability of a SAEM Café is an aesthetic statement of proportions. An entrenched bar and column support the core of the space. In addition, this vertical line takes symmetry structure of the space, brightening up dull moments.
Designer derives a comfort feeling by creating traditional elements which are based on Gwanpunggak Pavilion. “Various elements spatialize the mood of SAEM Café, such as horizontal line based on roof and Maru (floor), blurring the boundary of inside and out, column which is consist of natural materials, rough surface of granite, texture of traditional Korean paper, slightly different levels, frame of fenestration, and the contrast of materials”.
Also, those elements aim vigorously at perfection on their features. For instance, one foot of full width hemp divides the sitting space. However, the material still allows to see through the inside space. In other words, this translucence fabric separates into sections and reconnect the space carefully. Moreover, different height of step, such as stereobate and Maru(floor) obviously share more like private space.
These certain material expressions indicate the designer’s aim. SAEM Café has basically minimal form, but adding various materials’ combination, it strongly impresses traditional features of the Korean Garden on users. This is the way how designer try to design an architectural space to accommodate a specific program, experience, and intent.
