MIGIUI

About this place

MIGIUI sits within a hanok village in Ulju, in the foothills of Goun Mountain on the edge of the Yeongnam Alps. The site had been scarred by earlier interventions, and Architect-K, led by Lee Kichul, set out to let the building recede into the landscape rather than stand apart from it. It was completed in 2023. The building is organised as an 80-metre path that leads from the entrance through planted ground to the edge of a quiet reservoir. Trees, rocks and water were placed along the way to recall the original landscape, and a green roof lets the terrain run over the building. Three courtyards open the interior to the surroundings and blur the line between inside and out. Curved glass walls give the seating areas continuous views of the gardens, while stainless-steel eaves shade the glazing. It works as a destination café: come for the walk through the building and the view over the water as much as for the coffee.