5th August 2014
The Amoje food court in Seoul is given Karim’s special touch, resulting in a kaleidoscope of stimuli that blends technology and organics into ‘technorganic’ forms.
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The true spirit of the Technorganic world is where organics meets technology and Orgonomics – where commerce, organics, and ergonomics all converge to shape an industrial world that is sensual, beautiful, poetic, voluminous, and so human. Flowing semantic beauty that touches and inspires my life.
– Karim Rashid
At 9,700 sqft, Lotte department store’s Amoje food court in Seoul is quite a mesmerizing sight – thanks to the colourful and fluid forms that encompass the space. Designed by Karim Rashid, the Amoje food court plays on the idea of a spatial, visual landmark reworked into a gathering place, creating a recognizable, iconic location in a space for people to gather, meet, socialize and eat – in colour. The organic “islands” not only infuse the space with character and contemporary aesthetic, they serve as a pivotal landmark around each column, where people meet and gather. The freeform ceiling opens the visual plane outwards and above and provide concealed local lighting and for eating.
“I prefer a certain amorphous softness, soothing human forms, using new technologies, which I call technorganic objects,” Karim says. “Don’t’ forget we take design too seriously sometimes. Design development is serious but the consumer should sense a playfulness to elevate their lives, to make them happier. Humour is the underlying most important part of our human condition – I think everything should be smart and beautiful and holistically designed – meaning it is experimental and ecological, but in everything I inject some human spirit of humour – because it lightens up this overtly-serous thing we call life.”
The islands are centrifugal in arrangement, inviting users to interact, communicate and socialize in the space. This creates a lively dynamic setting which generates a sense of place for gathering and will ultimately make the space successful. The undulating perimeter of the area is then perforated to create visual openings for service counters. Snack locations are “carved” into the surrounding perimeter creating with strong visual highlights. Following this, the floor plays off the linear patterns of the perimeter wall, offering a strong wireframe that creates a sense of continuous dynamism and motion within the space. To top that off, a strong dynamic feature wall serves as a backdrop for the space, giving the space a visual focal point while concealing vertical circulation from the communal space.
“The true spirit of the Technorganic world is where organics meets technology and Orgonomics – where commerce, organics, and ergonomics all converge to shape an industrial world that is sensual, beautiful, poetic, voluminous, and so human. Flowing semantic beauty that touches and inspires my life,” Karim adds.
To capitalise on this concept strong wood grain patterns are introduced along the perimeter wall. Flooring patterns offer a two toned with subtle variation while tables and seating are accented to highlight colour in the space. “Lime, Orange, Pink and Blue come together with Wood Grain to form the Technorganic Palette,” Karim shares.
Towards another corner, a soft and minimal organic cash counter pulls visitors’ attention to the product on display, while diverting the focus from the financial transactions behind. These dropped in “blobs” add character and colour to the space. Not only are they strategically placed to capture and distribute intelligent circulation flow of the customer, but they also offer a recognizable landmark location within the space that makes purchasing and selecting easy for everyone.
