Reviving the Rhythm of a Neighborhood
Daebong-dong Café & Bakery Project-2m2 architects
The project is located in Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu-a quiet backstreet lined with aging structures in the city’s historic old town. Since 2010, when “Kim Gwang-seok Street” was created nearby to commemorate the beloved singer, the area has gradually transformed into a vibrant destination, particularly on weekends, drawing in young visitors and cultural foot traffic. Around the community center, cafés began to emerge organically—one after another—eventually forming an informal café street. The mood evokes the early 2000s in Seoul, when cafés began to populate the back alleys of Hapjeong and Sangsu as the broader Hongdae area gained cultural momentum.
The site allowed a legal floor area ratio (FAR) of 220%, making it possible to construct a four-story building with up to 164 pyeong (approximately 542 square meters). However, unlike most developers, the client did not intend to maximize rental yield. Instead, they envisioned a modest building of around 60 pyeong (198 square meters) in total floor area, where they could personally operate a bakery and café. This decision set the tone for a project not driven by capital efficiency, but by identity, nuance, and neighborhood fit.
In response, we designed a building that occupies only about one-third of the permitted volume—carefully calibrated not to overpower its surroundings, yet quietly distinct in its presence. The design strategy avoided a monolithic open plan, often preferred by franchises, in favor of a spatial experience divided into multiple layers and moments. Though legally a two-story building, the structure unfolds across four levels including a rooftop deck, thanks to a skip-floor configuration. On each level, exposed concrete structural walls provide additional separation and rhythm, contributing to the spatial variety.
Contrasts in material and finish were used to define atmosphere: the first floor features herringbone-patterned wood flooring paired with a raw concrete ceiling where the slab and beams remain exposed. On the second floor, the polished concrete floor surface is left bare, while the ceiling above is finished with warm wood louvers, reversing the material relationship and enriching the sensory experience. A skylight above filters in natural light throughout the day, adding softness to the structural clarity.
South Korea is home to many neighborhoods that rival any global city in terms of character and specificity. These places, rich with history, have also been shaped by decades of fast-paced development. As a young architect, I believe there is meaning in contributing to the everyday life of such neighborhoods—breathing architectural intent into the alleys and corners that hold collective memory.
This project, supported by a thoughtful and design-minded client, was never about maximizing profit. It was about creating a space that reflects and enhances the evolving rhythm of Daebong-dong-a place that local residents and new visitors alike can embrace as their own.
