Starbucks Moves Into Old Korean House, Serving Coffee With Shot Of The Past

In the tech world, there are the thoughtfully-designed Apple Stores. As for cafés, there’s Starbucks.

The new location in Daegu, South Korea, is a travel landmark in its own right. Embodying the city’s rich arts and culture, Starbucks’ traditional-style coffee shop is inspired by hanok, historical Korean houses dating back to as early as the 14th century.

Taking over a real, 100-year-old hanok, the store preserves cherished elements of olden-day buildings, like their natural materials. Exposed wood serves as its framework, while features like the original tiled roof, columns, floors, and beams have been retained.

The café has seating for 120 visitors on its 7,000-square-foot grounds, extending to an outdoor garden consisting of old wells and trees.

Two houses make up the space, each reflecting the old and new. White walls line the contemporary hut, which offers seating in the form of sofas and modern wooden furniture. Meanwhile, the traditional side is held by existing pillars and comes fitted with low tables and floor cushions, with a dry garden cutting into its middle.

With Daegu listed as a UNESCO Creative City of Music, it was a no-brainer for music to be a big part of this location. Starbucks Korea has commissioned Bang & Olufsen to enliven the hanok’s surroundings with song through a specially-designed sound system that blends beautifully into the setup.

Guests can also take some of this music home with a Beosound Explore portable Bluetooth speaker that will retail here.

Key artwork at the café depicts the Starbucks siren in a cross-stitch style in line with traditional Korean design sensibilities.

Starbucks describes the venue, which opened on October 20, as a meeting of traditional and modern beauty, “reinterpreting the splendor of hanok to the fullest.”

[via Yanko Design, NextShark, Starbucks Korea, images via Starbucks Korea]