Sihojae Gallery, Guesthouse, Cafe
SIHOJAE GALLERY, GUESTHOUSE, CAFE
Itm Yooehwa Architects
ARCHITECTS
Itm Yooehwa Architects
LEAD ARCHITECT
Ehwa Yoo
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
The Garden
STRUCTURE ENGINEERS
Sj Enc
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
Hankook Tec
CONSTRUCTION
Ib Construction
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
Seowon Energy & Environment Co., Ltd.
LEAD DESIGNER
Toshiharu Tanaka
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Sunmi Lee
PROJECT MANAGER
Hansung Kim
CONSTRUCTION INTERIOR
Xium Design Group
LEAD DESIGNER (INTERIOR)
Heeyoung Choi
MANUFACTURERS
Allon Wood, HMIND, LX Hausys, Macheonseok, Metal Gate, OPUS INTL, OPUS INTL, VM zinc
PHOTOGRAPHS
Yongkwan Kim
AREA
1334 m²
YEAR
2023
LOCATION
Chilgok, South Korea
CATEGORY
Hospitality Architecture, Coffee Shop, Houses
English description provided by the architects.
'Sihojae' means 'a bow that shoots towards time'. It is a private gallery that doubles as a guesthouse and cafe.
The client, an art lover, required a house for himself and a space in which to display his private collection, as well as a guesthouse for his children. At first, the site appeared to be a relaxing, low-lying basin surrounded by mountains.
Tired of the multilayered and discordant cityscape of today, I didn't want to interrupt the flow of the beautiful ridge leading up to Palgongsan Mountain.
I designed the building with a symphony in mind, playing on the scents and caress of the breeze across this beautiful basin.
After parking their car, visitors may approach the building by following a long wall through a small garden. They are faced with the transition of the wall to a building, entering soon after.
The wall is an architectural device that separates visitors from the outside world and immerses them in a state of relaxation in Sihojae.
The approach between the two arc-shaped buildings resembles one welcoming guests with open arms, conveying the sense of comfort of being enfolded in nature and the client's hospitality.
The west wing, emerging out of two buildings which extends on both sides of the client's residence, is a gallery and café (Sicha). Sitting there, one can enjoy the garden with the sky reflected across the pond.
In the east wing, where the guesthouse is located, the passage of time can be felt as light and shadow move across the vertical louvers along the corridor. The door in the corridor opens to the guesthouse around the courtyard.
The garden at the centre of the site was designed by Kim Bongchan (principal, The Garden), who has collaborated with me many times.
He planted trees and grasses to match the local vegetation, and created a small water pond that looks as if it has always been there to create a space that resonates with its surrounding landscape. I designed the roofline to gently outline the site, and so it is hard to tell whether the garden or the building came first.
With a name like 'Sihojae,' it will gently permeate this land like the flow of a string aimed at time. It will seem as though it has always been here, gradually aging while continuing to converse with the distant mountains, the wind, the air, and the land itself.
By gracefully enduring the passage of time and continuing to create a beautiful harmony with the client's love, may this space bring comfort and inspiration to the guests who visit, through this ongoing and harmonious creation.
