[iF Design Award] Avant Bakery Yeoksam
Behind the bustling Teheran-ro in Gangnam, where people move in a constant rush, lies a street with a completely different atmosphere. Though lined with lush roadside trees and equipped with a spacious public open area, the space feels barren so much so that even during the busy lunch hour, few people stop to linger. At the heart of this street sits a ground-floor space that had long been divided used as a noodle shop and a café for over a decade, and even earlier, as a galbi restaurant and a tofu diner. This aged and fragmented space is now set to be transformed into the birthplace of a new bakery brand: AVANT BAKERY.
Intersection of Time : Between the rush of everyday life and a pinch of calm
Through this project, PlanB set out to design a place for those who would truly inhabit it, people seeking not just convenience but a reason to stay. The purpose of AVANT BAKERY goes beyond selling bread. It offers a brief yet deeply restorative pause within the fast rhythm of urban life. Like a small pinch of yeast that brings dough to life, this space was envisioned as a quiet catalyst for a richer sense of calm. With the concept of “Crossroad of Time,” PlanB aimed to create a sensory buffer where fast meets slow, inside meets outside, and people meet the city, allowing visitors to reconnect with themselves, even if only for a moment.
A quiet catalyst for calm within the rhythm of the city.
The space faced several challenges. The exterior was an inconsistent mix of red brick, ceramic panels, and black masonry that lacked harmony. The steep front slope limited accessibility, and the interior was divided into two disconnected areas, breaking the spatial flow. The building’s asymmetrical structure further complicated the overall experience.
PlanB addressed these challenges through thoughtful design intervention. The dividing wall was removed to unify the space, and large floor-to-ceiling glass windows replaced the existing openings, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. The sloped yard was transformed into a terrace that restored visual balance and created a gentle difference in eye level between those inside and pedestrians outside. This subtle variation established a natural sense of privacy and intimacy within the open layout.
Guided by the keyword “intersection,” PlanB explored the meeting points of material, structure, movement, and time. Stainless steel and natural wood were contrasted to create tactile balance, while vertical and horizontal elements interacted to generate quiet tension. The same design language continued into the outdoor furniture, reinforcing visual coherence throughout the space.
Light played a vital role in defining the mood. Indirect Barrisol lighting merged with daylight, producing soft transitions of shadow and tone as the day unfolded. By afternoon, sunlight reached deep into the space, blending with the warmth of the wood to create a calm, reflective atmosphere that seemed to hold the passage of time.
At the entrance, an expansive media wall served as the focal point of AVANT BAKERY, expressing its identity through motion and light. Whether showing scenes of bread being made or flowing visuals of waves and wind, the media introduced a dynamic rhythm into the architecture—embedding the brand’s aesthetic and emotion directly into the spatial experience.
A crossroad of time where the pace of the city meets moments of stillness.
The design of AVANT BAKERY unfolds across structural, perceptual, and experiential layers. Rather than presenting a single grand gesture, PlanB conceived the space as a continuous sequence of transitions — mediating between speed and stillness, interior and exterior, public and private realms.
Two previously divided units were merged into one unified flow, connecting the terrace to the farthest point of the interior. As visitors move through the space, they experience subtle shifts in light, texture, and rhythm — a gradual transition that reflects the passage of time. The terrace, shaped along the site’s natural slope, serves as a threshold rather than a boundary. It mediates between the city and the building, gently drawing the external flow inward while providing a sense of calm and psychological comfort.
Beyond the architecture itself, PlanB emphasized a visual and spatial connection to the park across the street. The steep slope that once disconnected the street and the building was restructured with a low, open façade aligned to the park’s horizon. This allows those inside to remain visually connected to the city while feeling the light, breeze, and greenery from beyond. Through the minimization of physical barriers, the site transforms into a porous, public-facing space — one that seamlessly connects the city, nature, and its visitors.
PlanB defined the overarching concept as a “Crossroad of Time.”
The space becomes a quiet intersection where the fast rhythm of urban life meets moments of stillness and introspection. Set at the boundary between people and the city, it is not a path to pass through but a place to pause and stay. This notion of intersection extends beyond movement and sightlines, evolving into a consistent design language found in every detail — furniture, walls, floors, and ceilings. Vertical and horizontal lines, contrasting materials, and the play of shifting light together create sensory moments that invite visitors to slow down and engage with the space more deeply.
Intersections of Material and Structure
LThe interior furniture of AVANT BAKERY highlights the contrast between stainless steel and natural wood—creating a visual and tactile tension that reflects the broader design language of the space