Heuler | KKOL Studio

Café heuler is a project that was conceived based on the appearance of the flow of water, gently meandering in and out. Just as the name “流留場 (Yuyujang)” implies, the space advocates and encourages the patron’s journey of entering with leisure and staying languidly until their equally relaxed exeunt.

When recalling the features of water (水 ), it is prone to be mistaken for existing within strict and comprehensive rules. This is due to water typically possessing a directionality and strength to its flow. However, these rules are more often than not forged from the influence of the atmosphere, the earth, or other naturalistic factors rather than features inherent to water. Water in and of itself is softer, more serene, and more untethered than any other substance on Earth. We reminisced upon the image of patrons of this space floating on that very surface.

The two entrances, each symmetrically skewed away from the center, act as critical contraptions for the spatial concept of flowing in and out of the space. There are no rules about which of the two doors is the entrance and which is the exit. Whichever doorway the patron chooses use to enter becomes the entrance, and whichever is used to leave becomes the exit; in turn, the direction in which the patrons walk becomes the main path for foot traffic.

The banister spanning across the space with a delicate curvature and the structure of the ceiling support the aforementioned physical flow while simultaneously coyly making the gesture of a warm reception. The curve in the form of a deep, concave indent, seen from the entrance, produces a latent attitude of yielding the bosom of the space to the patrons.

Lead Architects: Euisun Yoon, Hyeji Bae, Subin Haam

Photography: Donggyu Kim