As one of South Korea‘s biggest food manufacturing companies, Ottogi is an omnipresence in the daily life of many Koreans. Stepping up its marketing efforts, the company has stepped out of the box to better connect with a young consumer demographic and flaunt a more contemporary image by entering the sphere of modern urban lifestyle and open a multifaceted retail space in Seoul. Called Roly Poly Cotto, the new establishment occupies a spacious 1,015 sqm. (10,925 sq.ft.) space on the premises of a modern office building in the city’s Nonhyeon-dong neighbourhood, and run by local hospitality group 33table. The venue comes with an outdoor terrace and garden which, in the design of local architecture practice Studio Vase, is a connecting each of the venue’s six different social spaces.
The premises have been fully redeveloped, and an existing street side structure and staircase have been tweaked and are now fully clad in red brick with bright yellow accents, a signature colour of Ottogi, making the venue stand out from its bland surroundings. Interestingly, the bricks have been applied in different patterns throughout the premises to evoke an added sense of modernity. The so-called Cave is in fact a subterranean café with a roadside entrance, offering various dishes made with Ottogi food products, desserts, coffee and other drinks. Here, red bricks capture the walls, flooring and most of the fixtures, and are offset by more than 400 fluorescent coloured objects dangling from the ceiling and which reference the volumes which can be found in the garden.
The Cube, named after its shape, sees bricks all around but on one side which is clad in glass from floor-to-ceiling, and is furnished with a large flowing and seemingly floating shelf and a sizeable balloon light, presents merchandise which has been specifically made for Roly Poly Cotto. A brick-stacked stair-shaped slope allows active seating, and a small lawn space at the top provides an opportunity to view the entire garden. The stairs are dotted with various fluorescent coloured ceramic objects by artist Heon-jeong Lee, and when attaching a large screen to the cube, a large shaded plaza dubbed Shade can be easily set up. Right across, alongside a body of water, sits another boxy structure with a façade clad in yellow punched metal cloak which reflects the sunlight. The building is home to Roly Poly Cotto‘s Living Room, a homey yet stylish space where to sit back and relax. Last but not least, there’s the Hall, an event space in the making, but currently used for corporate events or tastings.
Roly Poly Cotto
19 Bongeonsa-ro 51-gil, Unit 269-10 (Nonhyeon-dong)
06103 Seoul
Telephone: +82 2 34426468
Daily 10-9
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