bricol lab designs its hrr café to recall the white ferries on seoul's han river

hrr café: inspired by the river

Korean studio Bricol Lab nestles this Hrr Café among Seoul‘s riverside district of Seocho-gu. Celebrating its proximity to the waters of the Han River, the project takes its name ‘Hrr’ from the onomatopoetic word 흐르르 which is said to visually resemble the shape of waves. The architects note that the word ‘originated with the aspiration that wandering civilians would reach their desired space through the medium of the river.’ With this context, the architecture takes shape to recall the image of a docked ferry.

images © Sungho Zin

a dock where visitors can come and go

Informed by the memory of a ferry dock along the river, the architects at Bricol Lab design the Hrr Café to reference the history of its location. The team notes: ‘Historically, the site once acted as a ferry dock, where it would have bustled with ferries.’ Thus, the project is curated with an all-white expression, balanced by mature timber pillars and wooden finishes to recall the image of a boat with sails.

The design team aimed to maximize the ‘strength and energy’ of the space by flooding it with natural light. With its facade of full-height glass and linear skylight above, the café is illuminated with an ’emerald aura,’ suggesting that the space is brimming with water. The team explains: ‘As intended, the shimmering sunlight flowing in through the various cracks evokes the appearance of rays of sunlight shining through the water.’

the design by bricol lab

The team at Bricol Lab continues, illustrating the spirit of its Hrr Café: ‘The floor-to-ceiling front window was inspired by the image of patrons enjoying a coffee or dining while having friendly interactions with pedestrians passing by and is emblematic of the space’s element to attract and gather people close by.

‘The space endeavors to act as a refuge and create a space that connects life to other strains of life. By blurring the boundaries between inside and outside, the space seamlessly permeates through its environment. It is emblematic of a simpler time before the building of man-made embankments where the boundary between water and land was blurred.

‘The ‘Hrr’ is a 2022-year model of ferry dock that reproduces the traces of a discontinued past with today’s modern aesthetic. The Hrr is the reincarnation of the dock, which currently remains only in the name of the road and addresses it’s is located on and is the reincarnation of this refuge that harmoniously connects the ages.’

the interiors are flooded with an ’emerald aura’ as if brimming with water
skylights above allow natural sunlight throughout the day