Roly-poly Cotto is a project that involves and intervenes in all parts from naming, spatial planning and design, styling, product design, and even graphic design. Initially requested space was planned to sell curry and ramen on an area of about 265m2, and 80 pyeong, but was expanded to about 310 pyeong by suggesting the possibility of expansion through using remaining space. The simple composition just selling ramen and curry made us expect to serve as a symbolic space that would give a complex function on the expanded space and make consumers impress the brand’s new image. However, it needed a metaphorical interpretation that could appeal to the young generation while avoiding the brand’s direct expression
In the era of simulacrum, which considers the status quo more than the reality, the young generation may feel a strong isolated image to Ottogi. Thus, we have come to plan our role as a space to overcome this dilemma and show the future of the embedded company. Through the analysis from various aspects, we set up the concept to identify positive, negative, and deficient images, and to overcome them. It is still very ironic, but we thought that we should make an innovative, kind but strong, friendly but sensuous image. To do so, we thought that more complex than simple, more emotional than provocative, more analog than digital, that would be the solution as a non-temporary and sustainable space. So, we hoped after the space become more familiar, it would be delivered to the uses step by step. Composition of Space - The key to the design is to combine the gardens hidden in two existing buildings into one, to secure the widest area in the whole space, and to provide a medium. The scattered six spaces formed a relationship through this garden to perform each function. 7 spaces divided in the order of cave, cube, slope, shade, garden, hall, and sala, have different roles and heights and provide various sequences.
The main material of the space is red brick. The red brick is a material that contains universality and persistence and builds the structures by gathering small cells. The bricks, which are built with about 100,000 blocks, are like the conservative nature of materials that has been kept over the years, and the meaning of the corporate spirit which has developed steadily. The various construction methods and patterns of the bricks are performance that overcomes conservatism. Moreover, yellow is the symbolic color of the Ottogi. The yellow gives a completely different feeling depending on the color, brightness, chroma, area of use, so we decided not to insist on the brand’s symbolic color but to focus on delivering the image of the color. The materials used inside were wood, fabric, and ceramics that are suitable with the bricks, the main material. However, we used stainless steel for the rhythm of the material, thus, we cut every single segment so that it could feel the temporality.
The cave facing the road is a windowless semi-basement and a space for selling food and beverages. About 400 fluorescent objects hanging from the ceiling make us feel the landscape of the garden. The interior of the space is finished with various patterns of bricks, and an 8m bar and booth sofa become the axis of the narrow and long space. When going up the ground through a narrow vertical staircase, it will meet a cube and a slope facing each other. The cube is a space to sell goods developed for the project. The front wall inside the cube, which is finished with bricks inside and outside is shinny by the light through a thick crack in the brick and looks like the single large metal shelf floats in a curved shape. The ceiling was hung with large balloons and lights together gives a cheerful atmosphere and making it easy to recognize from the outside. The stair-shaped slopes stacked by bricks are designed to sit more actively, and the small grass space created at the top provides an opportunity to watch the whole garden.
