- region:
143 square meters
year:
2023
An alley in Incheon-dong, Cheongju, filled with small, quiet houses – Children gathered on the playground in every alley. It was a place to talk, hang out with friends, and do whatever you wanted. I looked around at all the sights we could see. It was a free and dynamic space, but we felt very comfortable remembering that time. When I first met the client and entered the place, there was an unknown section installed which made it impossible to guess if it had been a food court in the past. The ruins surrounded by mold gave the impression that they had been there for many years.
The client said he wanted a warm space where everyone felt comfortable, along with vibrant, colorful drinks. While listening to the story, I saw a playground with children playing outside the curved window. At that time, some old memories that came to me during my busy daily life were warm. I started this project by recalling my childhood memories when I was playing on the playground and how ordinary daily life became full of different colors and emotions.
Space is part of the playing field outside the window, and we thought it was important to create harmony as an extension of it. We tried to give the impression of the space with basic tones and free shapes that characterize the stadium. However, including only the vibrant play area design fell short in providing the feeling of comfort and warmth that our clients were looking for. Therefore, we hope that under the well-organized tone and warm atmosphere, colorful color will become an element of the space. The furniture in primary colors and the landscape outside the window become the center of the space, and the curved facade of the existing building connects naturally to the interior, creating a dynamic sense of life as the surface of the interior space rolls as if children are playing. I wanted the design to coexist in two directions: dynamism and comfort.
As you enter the entrance, the diagonal counter is designed to take advantage of the space but is arranged as if to play a joke on customers entering the space. The angled, curved shape allows natural light passing through the window to flow across the curve, providing strong warmth while also raising questions about the space behind it, which can be seen through the gap. The interior floor is designed dynamically, reimagining the feel of a garden corridor, and harmonizing with the existing building’s burgundy brick exterior. Brick tiles and epoxy pebble materials were chosen to add warmth and connection between the interior and exterior. The warm white color makes the curved shape and light more prominent. It will harmonize with basic colored furniture and dynamic flooring. Then, I hope, I can look out the window and see the disappearing boundaries between indoors and the playground outside the window.
Quite simply, the playground is a play of colors and a party of shapes. Although it looks like a mixture of complex shapes and colors, I simplified it with simple lines and colors throughout the study. The brand’s logo evokes the afterimage of the word “norri” (the Korean word for play is pronounced “norri” when pronounced phonetically), which is pronounced like a baby’s cooing, the “o” rolling downward and embodying the “norrri” logo.
(Tags for translation) Architecture