Seoul-based design practice Studio Studio has created a box-like eatery, 020 Walls, in Incheon, South Korea. Spread across more than 1,800 square feet, the restaurant occupies the ground floor of a large housing complex and boasts a roomy layout distinguished, not by walls, but by low-rise partitions that ensure intimacy without compromising openness.
“I wanted visitors to be able to feel the ‘clusters of walls,'” says Studio Studio designer Do Gwanghun. “Comfort and novelty should coexist in local restaurants—I should be able to answer the question ‘Can users see this space every day?’ positively.”
Stone, iron, and wood make up the dividers used to gently sheath guests in seating enclaves. Each dining pod maintains a void that frames a view of a central tree planted at the core of the interior against a veined green marble backdrop. A large open storefront floods the venue with natural light during the day, while evenings are infused with coziness via a small handful of ceiling lights suspended above the dining room to bathe it in an inviting dimness. “The success lies in the novelty of space,” Gwanghun adds. “This design is not dramatically new. It melts into the city space, but when the user looks inside, I want a subtle novelty to be seen in his eyes.”
More from HD:
Tour the CIVILIAN Hotel with David Rockwell
AutoCamp Joshua Tree Channels the Spirit of the California Desert
Authenticity Is Key for Designer Linda Boronkay
