Irim Yoga Studio & Cafe in South Korea by Foam Architects.

Located in a quiet residential area, this neat yoga studio also houses a café within the 100 square metres of space. The client brief asked for a distinct division between the two business functions while maintaining views of the nearby park.

“I divided interior space into two, east and west, and for the yoga practice, eastern side was utilised as it is connected to the park,” says Cho Youngwoo, lead architect at Foam. When it is sunny, the folding door can be opened facing the park, allowing yoga practice to happen while feeling the outside warmth. During weekends when no classes are on, the same space can be used as a café.

‘Moon Door’ which divides the cafe and the yoga room, acts as a boundary between the two spaces. It is also the first thing visitors come across upon entering the room. Textured opaque glass was used to provide a sense of focus during yoga practice while connecting inside and outside even when the door is closed. The moon shape cut-out is a homage of the lunar cycle of the yoga practice.

“As material exposed to the surface, namely finishing material, I wanted to utilise something that makes the best use of its own intrinsic nature,” says Youngwoo. Connecting the space to the natural qualities of the nearby park, the interior is mainly made of plywood, bamboo, and terrazzo concrete blocs.

The client wanted to have an image of Mandala – a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe – acting as a visual reference inside the practice room. “But Mandala with a strong image could ruin the unity of the space. What I did was to create simplified Mandala by making holes in the concrete block,” concludes Youngwoo.

[Images courtesy of Foam Architects. Photography by Kim Eunsol.]