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South Korean architecture studio Sukchulmok has renovated a bakery and cafe in Seoul and added a reflective facade made of stainless steel.
Aiming to “maximise harmony” with the existing structure, Sukchulmok paired the stainless steel with original details such as weathered signage and cornices.
The preservation of these existing elements is intended as a nod to the 1980s building’s layered history as a house, hardware store, office and most recently a restaurant.
An amalgamation of its earlier conversions, the building’s brick and concrete structure was also largely retained, with any structural additions built using discoloured bricks to blend into the existing walls.
“While complementing the ageing functions, I wanted to express the jagged exterior of the building in a single formative vocabulary,” lead architect Park Hyunhee told Dezeen.
“I thought it would be appropriate to use steel and I thought that stainless steel had the opposite texture and colour to the old appearance so when it was combined, it could maximise harmony.”
Arranged across two floors and a roof terrace, the eight-metre-tall bakery hosts bright plant-filled interiors framed by the rough concrete and brick structure. This framework contrasts with new red-cedar wood detailing.
The steel facade panels on the exterior are connected by two large circular columns, designed for both structural reinforcement and visual appeal.
“I saw the texture created by time as the biggest strength of the building,” said Park.
“The finishing touches of the newly added stainless steel and redwood were expressed as concisely as possible. It is not to conflict with the rough texture.”
The ground floor is organised around a rounded, concrete bar, while a kitchen is located at the rear and seating wraps around the edges.
Further seating provided upstairs is accessed by a sheltered outdoor staircase, hidden from the street by a concrete wall and polycarbonate panels.
An existing window on the upper floor is decoratively infilled with perforated brick, while a reconstructed floor-to-ceiling opening leads out to a plant-filled balcony.
Strip lights on the ceiling run parallel to the ground floor bar and are also used to illuminate the upper floor.
The facade’s circular columns are echoed in the furniture, with rounded stainless steel window seats and circular tables used throughout the space.
Additionally, rounded concrete steps on the ground floor lead out to a paved patio. This is decorated by the same large stones found at the building’s front entrance.
Elsewhere in South Korea, OMA has expanded a university with a cluster of buildings and courtyards and DLA+ has unveiled designs for the “world’s first” combined baseball stadium and shopping mall.
Other recent projects by Sukchulmok include a tent-like photography studio and the Parconido Bakery Cafe, both also in South Korea.
The photography is by Hong Seokgyu.
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