Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. Home to a variety of heritage sites and serving as the hub for economy and industry in South Korea, the city has a long list of captivating sites and isn’t short of beautiful cafes designed to tickle the eyes. In the northern part of Gyeonggi-do is a bakery cafe called Parconido. Designed and constructed by the architecture firm sukchulmok in 2022, the cafe/bakery is famous for resembling a European square–an area which the cafe owner frequently saw during their residence in Italy. 

Parconido was created with the unifying image of people socializing with each other between red brick buildings and stone pillars on a sunny day while representing the brand’s beginnings with the client challenging for a new business. 

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The basic materials and simple shapes used present a consistent space that allows space, furniture, and lighting to harmonize for the unified atmosphere that the European square recalls. The open-air area is dominated by columns and rounded walls while the interiors are subdued by rounded walls that have a radius of 600 millimeters acting as reference points that complete a sense of unity without forwarding monotony. These designs were built by stacking clay bricks with no holes together. The bricks were also cut off by two-thirds of the thickness and worked like the skin on an iron frame to relieve the load. 

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To keep the theme of unity, the cafe interior is also furnished with subtle pieces carrying perfect circles that blend into the space in various forms like concrete castings, combinations with wood, and overlapping circular pipes. Travertine limestone also lines the cafe walls, floors, and ceiling, recalling the ambiance of European squares and their fountains. To give the illusion of expansion and faint boundaries, the interior angles are rolled into round shapes–curved walls lined with white tiles that join with the tiled floors and ceiling. With the combination of red brick, travertine, and wood, sukchulmok, is able to depict the feeling of a baby bird dozing off in a nest. With its warm-tones, the cafe can fulfill its goal of letting the visitors enjoy a relaxed mood.

Aside from its gorgeous architecture, the Parconido Cafe is known for roasting and baking its own delicious products.

Photos by Hong Seokgyu