Mangata Restaurant

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

Mangata Restaurant 

Nomal

ARCHITECTS
NOMAL

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Seyeon Cho, Minyuk Chai

CONSTRUCTION
Koopartner

LANDSCAPE
Greenbrother, Jogyoung Sanghoi

FURNITURE AND WOOD WORKS
Nomal, General Gray

MANUFACTURERS
Benjamin Moore, Kcc, Younhyun, Sejeonsa

PHOTOGRAPHS
Choi Yongjoon

AREA
91 M²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Jongno-gu, South Korea

CATEGORY
Restaurants & Bars

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

Restaurant ‘mångata’ means ‘the roadlike reflection of moonlight on water’ in swedish. Our approach for the ‘mångata’ was coexistence.

This restaurant serves softness and hardness with variety of experience through the course meal.

The Chef had a great ability of using opposite components to coexist together with a harmony.

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

We tried to make a right shell for his food with a right space identity.

Luckily his new site for the restaurant was a very old hanok (Korean traditional house). 

We decided to give a modern touch with an original hanok atmosphere to represent ‘coexistence’.

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

Original hanok usually have very rough finishes with curvy structure. We used concrete to have a clean finish with a rough looking texture.

Also we used metal canopies to hide linear light which irradiate the typical structure of the hanok.

Since the ceiling was a huge identity of the hanok, we wanted to either totally hiding it or totally not touching it.

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

We hid certain ceiling in order to hide old damages and locate our electronic systems.

Since the restaurant serves a course meal, we thought it would be interesting to have different layers for the restaurant.

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

In order to enter the restaurant, a visitors must go through the busy city – quite alley – narrow vestibule – open courthouse – modern hanok space. We thought this could be very dramatic experience for visitors.

Furniture were also specifically designed for the space. Traditional Korean furniture were made by solid wood and special joints.

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

In order to modernize the furniture, all designs are based in modern minimal form of chairs with traditional joints.This furniture design emphasized the the coexistence of the modern and traditional.


Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon

Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon
Mangata Restaurant
© Choi Yongjoon


Mangata Restaurant
Existing Floor Plan
Mangata Restaurant
Proposed Floor Plan


Mangata Restaurant
Elevations