Cafe Gabaedo

architechu

The youngest pig's brick house from 'The Three Little Pigs'
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It is a story of the three little pigs who built their own houses to protect themselves from the threat of the wolf, and in the end, survived in the youngest brother's house. The person who used to read me that story in my childhood read it so vividly that reading that fairy tale back then felt like watching a movie in IMAX theater for me now. It felt very real, and it was a vivid and scary story.
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As such, sometimes when I smell the scent near an old house on the street, I remember this story. As I grow older and gain knowledge, when I remember this story, I imagine a completely different development of the story.
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What would the ceiling of the youngest brother's brick house look like in the end?
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In the case of the original, as the background is not Korea, surely it would reflect their culture. However, when it comes to picture books translated into Korean, I wonder, 'Should the illustrations be based on the culture that existed in Korea?' and sometimes make a ridiculous imagination. When imagining this way, there was a composition that came to mind. I thought that if they mixed the wood structure with bricks, the house would have been completed at a height that would be hardly reached by the wolf.
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The form that I only imagined actually exists.
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I also thought it was the first time I saw this form. Long ago, while studying modern traditional houses, I thought I knew that there were various forms of modern Korean architecture. I tried to find each of them that exist. However, seeing the well-preserved form of modern architecture, I was quite amazed.
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The name of this form is called 'Hanok Jeolchung Style'. This building, estimated to have been built in 1910, is said to be a brick building with a wooden structure that makes the roof, and puts roof tiles or tiles on top. It is also said that during the Japanese colonial period, this Hanok Jeolchung style building built in the Namdaemun area was never taken by the Japanese and remained the property of the Koreans.
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Subsequently, this space stood in front of the entrance to the Namdaemun-ro shopping center until 2016 without knowing the great architectural and historical value. Scholars who recognized the value and Heungkuk Life, the owner, obtained the consent to reveal that this place was a building of historical value through remodeling. It was a well-done job for everyone. It was a project to restore the architecture of old buildings and the styles of vanished buildings over time. The space was used as a Hanok cafe.
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Now, it is being used as the Namdaemun branch of the famous cafe brand 'Gabedo'. It is a quite fitting combination. In 1910, Emperor Gojong abdicated, and three years later, at that time, Korea called coffee 'gabae', which was a beverage that Emperor Gojong enjoyed.
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With such historical and cultural background, as you look into this space, you are instantly transported to the past drama era as soon as you enter through the exquisite arched entrance of the space. In particular, the second floor, made of a huge wooden structure, allows you to feel the appreciation of spaces built long ago. As there are records that the first floor was used as a store and the second floor was used as the owner's living space. When you think about how this space was used in the past from the perspective of the owner, it is quite exquisite.
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By bringing in the 8th space of Gabedo into this space, they provide a relatively modern tea time service in a way similar to selling pastries in the market, while a variety of items are prepared from 'yugae' candies that the candy truck uncle used to sell in your childhood basket, to 'scotch candies' that used to come out of your grandfather's pocket in your childhood.
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I argue that instead of leaving it like a completely useless museum with historical value, it should be a space where modern brands like this fit into an old space appropriately, and modern people can experience the historical background and scenes of the past firsthand, to stimulate historical and cultural awareness of citizens. In that context, I introduce this space as a space that can provide a diverse and high-level experience and leave a very enjoyable experience behind.
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This is the 8th space of Gabedo, Namdaemun Market Branch.
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Location _ 11 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
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Business hours _ 08-21 [Sat, Sun 11-21]
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Pets allowed
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No parking
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Menu attached.