Mindeulleul proposes a space where nature and architecture breathe together, drawing on the humble landscape embodied by the dandelion and the passage of time held within an old hanok.
At the heart of the project are two concepts: Sasiji-oe (四時之外) and Daegoe-aegi (大塊噫氣). The first invites visitors to experience the rhythms of nature beyond the boundaries of the four seasons, while the second seeks to bring the breath of the earth and nature into the space. Seasonal light and planting, the flow of water, and the movement of wind become integral elements of the environment, allowing visitors to dwell within nature’s continuous transformation.
Nestled among the mountains and forests of Gomori, Pocheon, Mindeulleul preserves the memories of a place that has long served traditional Korean set meals featuring wild mountain herbs. At the same time, it reinterprets the essential qualities of hanok architecture—its structure, courtyard, and framed views of the surrounding landscape—through a contemporary perspective.
Rather than directly reproducing tradition, the project translates the simplicity and natural character of the existing space into a contemporary language. It has been newly envisioned as a modern fusion Korean dining space where memories of the past meet present-day experiences, and architecture connects naturally with its surroundings.
The experience of Mindeulleul begins even before visitors enter the building.
Along the approach, they are first greeted by a landscape of aged onggi jars, moss, and vegetation. As visitors move through this scenery, naturally shaped over time, they leave behind the fast pace of the city and enter the slower rhythm of nature.
Upon entering, visitors encounter the structure of the hanok and a spacious, open interior beneath its low eaves. While preserving the rhythm of the columns and beams, the design expands sightlines and spatial openness, offering a contemporary interpretation of the hanok’s open character.
The raised platform at the center of the hall serves as both an anchor that organizes the flow of the space and a contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional courtyard. The surrounding planting brings a greater sense of nature into the interior, while movement and stillness, sightlines and open space converge around it.
Beyond the raised platform, planting and water features continue through the space, allowing nature to permeate deep into the interior. Flowing water, reflected light, and mist rising above the surface create a landscape reminiscent of a small valley and forest, bringing a slower sense of time into the space.
The central architectural device of Mindeulleul is chagyeong (借景), the traditional Korean concept of “borrowed scenery.” Large, open windows draw the surrounding mountains and forests into the interior, framing the changing landscape of each season as a series of living scenes. While retaining the proportions and rhythms of traditional hanok windows and latticework, the design reinterprets them with slender steel frames. Rather than forming a boundary that confines nature, they serve as a device that brings the landscape into sharper focus.
Humble materials, a restrained structure, and carefully composed areas of open space preserve the inherent beauty of the hanok. Onggi, wood, stone, water, the traditional timber structure, and the surrounding forest come together naturally rather than serving as decoration, gently bridging the boundaries between tradition and modernity, and between inside and outside.
Mindeulleul brings the memories of an old place and the beauty of its natural surroundings into a contemporary setting, inviting visitors to dine while immersing themselves in the slower rhythms of nature.
