rice-shaped sculpture illuminates flymingo's charcoal-clad restaurant in seoul

deokboon puts a modern twist on the traditional hanok

DEOKBOON Korean Dining and Grill is envisaged by interior design studio FLYMINGO as a place filled with warmth. Located on the first floor of Mondrian Seoul Itaewon, the restaurant reinterprets, with a modern touch, the traditional Korean Hanok house, and the villages made up of such structures, while encapsulating a cozy ambiance. It is designed with a concept of fluidity together with a changing sequence composed of introduction, development, climax, conclusion, and aftertaste — providing a memorable experience at each stage.

The facade is reminiscent of an entrance to a village, through which visitors are welcomed by a glow of light — its textures embodying the steam of freshly cooked rice — that filters down from the ceiling and permeates beyond the tall and short walls. Beyond is a courtyard filled with light that beholds a warmth akin to sunlight penetrating through leaves hanging from an old tree, shaken by the wind. Here visitors can sit while engaging in conversation or conduct seminars beside a unique reinterpretation of the Jangdok which was key to a Korean household food table since ancient times.

all images by Yongjoon Choi

flymingo contrasts textures of charcoal with warm light

By taking advantage of the existing hotel skylight that allows sunlight during the day to penetrate and installing a polyethylene object underneath it, the light that passes through the object ensures ample illumination without consuming energy. The main hall that follows represents the yard, and the colorful ingredients in the resin that fill the walls capture the various temperatures of each season, coming together in harmony with the flames from the live grill.

Korean studio FLYMINGO has positioned a room where visitors can enjoy their meal in private in the innermost area beyond the main hall, a space intended to capture the physical properties of charcoal that is filled with warmth. Its black and white design draws on the various characteristics and manufacturing processes of charcoal. As the names suggest, the Baektan Room and the Geomtan Room have different tones and manners. The wall at the end of the hallway leading to the room is finished with inkstones and an object embodying warmth is hung, which intensifies further at the site. ‘As visitors leave the place, they retain the lingering elegance, and this is where the story of DEOKBOON comes to an end,’ notes the design team.

interior design studio FLYMINGO completes DEOKBOON Korean Dining and Grill

the restaurant reinterprets, with a modern touch, the Hanok, a traditional Korean house

the sculptural installation infuses a warm glow of light — its textures embodying the steam of freshly cooked rice

the space is designed with a concept of fluidity together with a changing sequence

the sequence is composed of introduction, development, climax, conclusion, and aftertaste

each stage provides a memorable experience for the diner

light injects vitality amid the darkness embodying charcoal

artful details

visitors can enjoy their meal in private in the innermost area beyond the main hall

the wall at the end of the hallway leading to the room is finished with inkstones

‘As visitors leave the place, they retain the lingering elegance.’

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project info:

name: DEOKBOON Korean Dining and Grill
designer: FLYMINGO | @flymingo_official

location: Seoul, Korea

photographer: Yongjoon Choi

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom