The BSTONY

THE BSTONY

PILDONG2GA Architects

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

ARCHITECTS
Pildong2ga Architects

MANUFACTURERS
Kommerling, Dearmywood, Merbau, Plasma

PHOTOGRAPHS
Kyung Roh

AREA
245 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Yeosu-si, South Korea

CATEGORY
Coffee Shop

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

Text description provided by architect.

Project BSTONY lies on Dolsan Island, an island off the coast of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

The island’s coastal route passes through small villages housing the lives and livelihoods of island locals.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

A twenty-minute drive down this road leads to an unassuming structure.

The site was located at the bottom of Cheonwang Mountain and retained the natural slope of the foothills.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

Starting the design was surprisingly simple, given the client’s request and site conditions.

After visiting the site, the architects decided on two major strategies.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

First, the café’s structure would not go against the topography of Cheonwang Mountain.

As Dolsan Island gets more and more tourists each year, accommodation and commercial facilities have sprung up indiscriminately along the coastal road.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

Most of the new facilities each stands out on its own but are inharmonious. The project would add yet another structure to this scene.

After deliberating over how to minimize damaging the natural landscape, the architects decided to minimize architectural conduct construction.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

Second, the café’s material would not go against the scenery of Dolsan Island’s beautiful coastline.

The architects chose finishes that would go well with the natural surroundings so that the café would remain congruous with its environment over time.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

Because of the land’s slope, the café from outside the higher level looks as if it is buried underground.

But the stairs inside open up to a spacious garden and panorama windows that show a picturesque view of the landscape, touching the hearts of onlookers like a serene watercolor painting would.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

The architects plotted a dry area between the retaining wall and cafe area on clear days, opening up the window fittings expands the area and allows for ambiguous space.

Moreover, the dry space keeps the ground’s humidity from entering the café’s interior.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

An important aspect in conceptualizing the project was the continuity of the interior and exterior space.

The scenery out the windows would naturally draw the circulation of someone enjoying her coffee indoors outside.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

Anyone enjoying her coffee outside within the scenery would feel as if they were indoors.

The architects designed around the concepts of continuous circulation, line of sight, and optimization of outdoor space, a rarity in urban areas.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

Stepping inside, the café’s interior space is quite simple. The café and garden (greenhouse) sit on a long 10m30m mass.Beyond the mass, the outdoor area is arranged in layers, the boundaries marked by materials.

For example, for the café’s indoor area, the architects used a concrete finish; from where the café ends and garden begins, they selected wood.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

In addition, to emphasize directionality, the architects installed pendant lighting direction to focus the viewer’s line of sight.

The space could have felt somewhat plain, but by filling it up with furniture, artwork, plants, and other décor, the architects made the potentially rigid space flexible.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh

By providing an inviting entryway and building a comfortable space for visitors who travel to the café, the architects intended to create a pleasantly surprising space, rather than merely present a physically imposing building.

As a result, the structure, though potentially modest in appearance from the outside, houses a space inside where diverse areas coexist, providing comfort and serenity to those who visit the café.

The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh


The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh


The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh
The BSTONY
© Kyung Roh


The BSTONY
Section 01
The BSTONY
Section 02
The BSTONY
Section 03
The BSTONY
Section 04


The BSTONY
Section Detail
The BSTONY
Diagram 02. Image Courtesy of PILDONG2GA Architects


The BSTONY
First Floor Plan
The BSTONY
Roof Floor Plan


The BSTONY
Basement Plan
The BSTONY
First Floor Plan (residence)


The BSTONY
Site Plan
The BSTONY
Diagram. Image Courtesy of PILDONG2GA Architects