It almost feels like cosmic symmetry that a café whose clean-cut interiors are inspired by Alvar Aalto should debut in David Chipperfield’s first project in South Korea.
Set in Seoul’s transformed Yongsan-gu district, the straight lines of the English architect’s striated cubed skyscraper are quietly semaphored in the café’s interiors. Here, Teoyang Studio has installed thinly slatted birch screens that frame a deep-set cut-out ceiling to recall Aalto’s Savoy Vase, whilst diners perch stylishly on the iconic Stool 60 and Chair 66.
A central reading table stocked with volumes on Finnish architecture is the ideal spot to sample the café’s offerings which are conceptualised by local bakery Mealdo. Pastry chef Ick-beom Jeon bakes crispy honeyed rusks with vanilla alongside fragrant bread loaves, and jams, whilst giving even the quotidian coffee an Aalto makeover with fresh chestnut cream, its woodsy hue an homage to the Finnish architect’s love for the beech tree.
ADDRESS
100 Hangang-daero
Yongsan-gu
-
How an icon of Japanese Metabolist architecture took on a life of its own – even after its destructionWhen Kishō Kurokawa designed the modular Nakagin Capsule Tower more than 50 years ago, he imagined it boarding ships and travelling the world. Now it has, thanks to a new show at MoMA
-
Six vases become 28 jewels in Boucheron’s new high jewellery collectionCreative director Claire Choisne nods to the Japanese art of flower arranging with vases that disassemble into high jewellery rings, necklaces, brooches and more
-
In Santander, a cotton candy-coloured HQ is a contemporary delightSantander’s Colección ES Headquarters, a multifunctional space for art, office work, and hosting, underwent a refurbishment by Carbajo Hermanos, drawing inspiration from both travels and local context
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the worldCelebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Korean Air reveals sleek rebrand in first overhaul since 1984Korean Air’s new identity sheds excess detail to create a bold, minimalist identity fit for its global ambition
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The coolest design-led coffee shops in SeoulSeoul counts more coffee shops per capita than any other city in the world – cut straight to our six must-visit spots
-
Oneworld unveils first-ever branded lounge in Seoul Incheon AirportA new Oneworld futuristic lounge opens in Seoul as the airline alliance gears up for its 25th anniversary
-
Seoul is Best City of 2024Seoul’s unique mix of culture, art and style goes global, thanks to an unstoppable new wave of dynamic creatives. Discover the Wallpaper* Design Awards’ Best City
-
JW Marriott Jeju is a sleek island beautyJW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa launches, marking the hospitality brand's first resort in South Korea’s largest Island
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
