Gijang Waveon

Waveon, a unique cafe on the beach, is located in a hill overlooking the shore in Gijang. Clients wanted to get a 500sqm-sized building just for cafe where to look down the sandy and rocky shore. In fact, depending on where and how you see the beach, the sea shows diverse views. Accordingly, the significant matter of this project is how to grasp and deal with the relationship between natural scene and architecture.

  The condition of architecture oriented to outside view from inner space is placed on maximization of length of openings facing with sea and beach. Within given floor area ratio, void space in center can be decent solution to make more seats viewing scenery. This was embodied by stacking long and sequential spaces that had various heights and were connected each other via a bridge. Wide and long corridor bearing seating space with ocean view deliver internally void in the center and, at the same time, embraces more and diverse scenes from outside.

Furthermore, outer space of this building consists of “pyeongsang” that is a outdoor furniture traditionally used for small group activities like talking and sipping a cup of tea in community. Instead of setting a wide terrace in the beach, a series of pyeongsang under pine trees plays a meaningful role as semi-individualized spaces where you can have an opportunity to enjoy meditative time with a cup of coffee surrounded by natural scenes. Obliquely punched concrete wall offers a pleasure to peep sea shore beyond tall pine trees. In this building where nature and artificial setting meet together via more meditative but playful ways at the same time, you can experience a new type of retreat beyond cafe.

Gijang Waveon, Gijang-gun, Republic of Korea, 2016
Program: restaurant
Architect: Heesoo Kwak and IDMM Architects
Structure: RC Exterior
Area: 497.33 sqm
Completion: 2016