[Insta Walk] #Cha·Hwa·Dan and Work #Office Colored by Culture

by Lim Juhyeong

Published 03 Sep.2020 16:03(KST)

Shared Office Incorporating 'Core Living'
Brunch and Specialty Coffee Cafe on 1st Floor
Garden Like a Home Yard Beyond the Window
Idea-Flowing Magazine Bar on 2nd Floor
Charm of a 'Loose Connection' Between Work and Daily Life

Magazine library 'Docu' with various themes / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] These days, the office?a space that might be considered 'ordinary'?is gaining new attention. This is due to the increase in remote work caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). For those who were reluctant to work in offices, it can be seen as a more comfortable world opening up. However, for those who must bear rent and various taxes while leaving perfectly good spaces empty, it can be quite frustrating. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised questions about the concept of appropriately sized office space per person.

Meanwhile, office spaces are attracting attention from another perspective?the so-called 'shared office' trend. Startups have been able to use shared offices, which have sprung up rapidly, to work efficiently in small spaces with relatively low costs. It seems that shared offices are highlighted not only from the standpoint of management and work efficiency. There is also experimental effort to make offices a cultural hub. The shared office 'Local Stitch Yaksu,' established to go beyond a simple office by embracing culture and connecting the community, embodies this meaning.

Memo boards filling the walls of the cultural space / Photo by Im Ju-hyung skepped@asiae.co.kr

When you exit Seoul Subway Line 3 at Yaksu Station Exit 10, you see a gently rising hill and a dense residential area. Looking up into the air while climbing the hill, you can spot a red brick building that looks particularly solid among modern office buildings. This is Local Stitch Yaksu. The front faces a main road, and the back faces the Naksan Fortress in Jangchung-dong. At first glance, this building looks like a fortress; it was formerly the headquarters of an advertising agency but has now been acquired by Local Stitch and converted into a shared office.

The company explained that the building was originally renovated to create a space for cultural creators such as film and video professionals. Solbi Kim, the Yaksu branch manager, said, "Since Chungmuro is nearby, we thought that creators mainly involved in film and video would gather here due to the area's characteristics. We put a lot of effort into the design so they could freely exchange ideas and work while gaining inspiration."

Although it is a shared office, not all spaces in the building are allocated as offices. Among the five floors, the first and second floors serve as a kind of 'retail' space that anyone, not just office members, can freely use.

On the first floor, there is 'Coffee Pound,' a specialty coffee bean caf?, and 'CEEK,' a brunch restaurant that develops experimental dishes and offers them as pop-ups. Coffee Pound and CEEK are separate businesses but are naturally connected, allowing office workers and general customers to freely come and enjoy food. This space is designed with large windows facing outside, allowing natural light filtered through the garden trees to be fully enjoyed.

1st Floor Retail Space / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@asiae.co.kr

On the second floor, there is 'DOKU,' a magazine bar directly planned and operated by Local Stitch. It houses about 120 types of magazines on various topics such as architecture, interior design, environment, nature, and photography. Especially, a separate space located in the center of the bar is prepared for special exhibitions. Last month, books on photography were displayed.

The space surrounding the exhibition area feels close to a solemn reading room. In the membership-only area, office workers focus on their work with laptops open, while the general public area on the opposite side has tables and chairs where visitors can choose and read books, accompanied by soft lighting. Manager Kim explained about DOKU, "We hoped people could get creative help through magazines," adding, "Someday, this space will grow into a small bookstore."

A spacious flower bed spread out in front of the retail space's floor-to-ceiling glass / Photo by skepped@asiae.co.kr

Local Stitch started in 2013 as a small alley hotel in Seogyo-dong, Seoul. Since then, it has expanded its business by acquiring various buildings near Seoul and converting them into shared offices, markets, exhibitions, and more. So, what characteristics does Local Stitch aim to show through the Yaksu shared office?

Manager Kim emphasized 'Coworking + Coliving' as the feature of the Yaksu branch. In other words, it pursues a cultural space with an actual lifestyle beyond just an office for work. He said, "Membership employees working in the office sometimes take walks near the fortress wall, occasionally come down to read magazines to get new ideas, drink premium coffee, and enjoy brunch. The coworking space is not just for working but a place that pursues various encounters and growth through 'loose connections.'"

As urban density increases and open rest spaces become increasingly scarce, perhaps we are at a point where we need to consider not just how to use space but what meaning we can assign to it. The attempt by Local Stitch Yaksu is valuable because it helps offices and local communities continuously communicate and create new meanings, rather than being closed offices used solely for work.