Dezeen Magazine

On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture

Stacked felt sheets create seating inside South Korean cafe

Nameless Architecture used layers of flat fabric to form the stools and benches inside this cafe in South Korea's Gyeonggi province.

The studio was brought on board to create the interiors for a new branch of the On Ne Sait Jamais cafe chain in Gyeonggi.

On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture

The cafe, the name of which means "you never know" in French, is fronted by a glass facade and has white walls with a polished concrete floor.

When deciding how to furnish the space, the architects devised a method of stacking thin layers of grey felt to create stools, benches and table legs.

On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture

"Stacking this felt fabric reinforces its natural flexibility and satisfies simultaneously the function of a substantial furniture," said the studio.

"The mass of felt made by stacking fabric via a simple and primitive act provides the heaviness like concrete mass."

On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture

A steel grid attached to the ceiling incorporates a rail with moveable lighting fixtures, which can be slid up and down to adapt to the cafe's number of uses.

Pieces of delicate translucent fabric also hang overhead and are intended to contrast with the heaviness of the felt furniture.

On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture

"The fabric hanging from the overhead structure is a very delicate translucent fabric, which is distinct from the felt fabric at the bottom space," said the architects.

"Being different from the heaviness of the stacking felt, the floating fabric provides sensitive movements in response to behaviours of visitors and micro airflow."

On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture

Nameless Architecture has offices in both New York and Seoul. Other works by the studio include a cross-shaped church and a school with a triangular courtyard.

Photography is by Kyung Roh


Project credits:

Project team: Unchung Na, Sorae Yoo, Goeun Hong, Changsoo Lee, Jungho Lee
Contractor: Joosung Architecture

More images

On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture
On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture
On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture
On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture
On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture
On Ne Sait Jamais + Felt series by Nameless Architecture