Named after a 20th-century art movement led by Japanese and Korean artists who explored the encounter between natural and industrial materials, the striking MO-NO-HA boutique and gallery space opened in the leafy Hannam area of the South Korean capital. Following stints as a fashion designer and at Allô Paper Garden, a trendy eatery in Sinsa-dong, founder Eun-ju Joo assumed the position of creative director to establish a venue which primarily celebrates quality arts and crafts objects from both the homeland and abroad. As of late, MO-NO-HA has inaugurated a second outpost in Seoul, and this time it’s further up the Han River, in a neighbourhood called Seongsu. It’s an aptly chosen location as the area has developed into a hotbed of artists and designers in recent years, and sees an even more multi-faceted format than the initial venue, featuring not only a retail space and a gallery, but also a café.
Occupying a newly erected structure, the premises measure a spacious 237,2 sqm. (2,553 sq.ft.) and feature an interior design by local architecture and design practice Creative Studio Unravel. The voluminous space, marked by pristine white walls, a matching ceiling and concrete tile flooring, is divided into sections which are both captured and demarcated through a series of custom furnishings. Boxy, in a variety of shapes, and serving different purposes, each piece comprises of carefully selected materials which align with the palette used by the Mono-ha movement. Also, some furnishings come with wheels to enable flexible configurations. The minimalistic approach also extends to the adjacent café, and is perhaps even more evident here. Whitewashed sidewalls and a back wall clad in horizontally ridged concrete tiles form the backdrop of two large communal tables with chairs and an elongated bench of fibreglass with metal side tables. The service counter is concealed by a large sliding door, also crafted from metal. The café shares a tranquil patio with the aforementioned shop.
MO-NO-HA
16 Seongsui-ro 20-gil (Seongsu)
04783 Seoul
Telephone: +82 2 15775307
Tue-Sat 11-7
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
