EXISTING BUILDINGS · CAFÉ RENOVATION
COZIMORY · Seoul
A View of Trees, a New Chapter for the Building
When converting an old building into a café, what should stay and what should change?
Cozimory transformed a long-vacant police substation into a café. Before-and-after photographs show the relationship between the building and its trees, alongside the decisions behind its doors, windows, counter and seating.
View the supporting material
01
Understanding the Setting Before Making Changes
Changing an existing building does not begin simply with choosing new finishes. It first requires a close look at the building and its surroundings.
At Cozimory, the old building’s features and the trees beside it were the starting point. Instead of removing every trace of its previous appearance, we preserved this relationship while accommodating its new use as a café.
02
Trees Seen Through Doors and Windows
The trees are more than a backdrop to the exterior photographs. We planned the doors and windows so that people could also see them while seated inside.
The trees visible beyond the open door and the seating near the windows offer ways to experience the outdoor setting from within. Alongside considering what to add, we considered where the building should open toward its surroundings.
03
Seating Defined by Arches
The building’s new use as a café called for places to sit and spend time. Arches divide the seating areas, with light-colored wood and furniture added to the interior.
The repeated arches and wood-clad walls seen in the photographs define individual seating areas. Preserving the building’s outdoor setting and creating places for people to spend time inside were considered together.
04
A Counter for a New Use
As the building changed from a police substation to a café, the counter and seating were newly planned. The completed counter features wood panels and terracotta flooring.
The trees outside, the wood inside, and the counter where coffee is prepared come together in one space. Café functions and places to sit have been added to the existing building.
05
What Stayed and What Changed, Seen Together
The completed photographs of Cozimory show the relationship between the trees and the building, the doors and windows opening toward the trees, and the newly planned seating and counter.
When considering converting an existing building into a café, identifying what the new use requires—and what is worth retaining about the place—can be a useful starting point.
SUPPORTING MATERIAL
The Same Building, a Familiar Setting and a New Use
Placing the site record beside the completed photograph makes what stayed—and what changed—easier to see.
Retaining the Trees, Opening the Interior toward Them
In the before photograph, trees stand beside an aging exterior with small windows and window bars. The completed photograph shows the same trees and neighbouring buildings. What has changed is the café exterior and the doors and windows opening toward that setting.
At Cozimory, the relationship between the building and its surroundings was retained. This did not mean keeping every opening unchanged: doors and windows were reworked for the new use so that the setting could be experienced from inside. The change connects to the window seating, open doorway and counter shown earlier in this story.
Before
After
These photographs show the same building and trees from different positions and at different times. They are not a matched-camera before-and-after comparison.
BEFORE A CONVERSATION
Considering an Existing Building for a Café?
Rather than copying Cozimory’s solution, we look at the particular place alongside the requirements of its new use.
01
What would you like to retain?
Photographs of the exterior, interior and surroundings help identify what is worth keeping: the building’s character, a view of trees, or the relationship between existing doors and windows.
02
How will the café operate?
A drinks-focused café and one that also serves meals have different counter and seating requirements. Share the menu, intended guests and how they will spend time in the space, alongside the existing building conditions.
03
What should you prepare for a consultation?
Share the address, current use, existing plans or site photographs, and an indicative schedule and budget. Missing information becomes a list to verify on site. Photographs alone do not establish whether changes of use or structural alterations are feasible.
ANOTHER SIDE OF THIS PROJECT