In the residential part of Yeonhui-dong along a quiet street amongst beautiful villa homes, is a huge concrete building.
Conhas Yeonhuidong is a large café in a building that is an architectural wonder in itself. With an exterior made entirely of concrete, the building stands like a concrete fortress. It’s walls jut out in sharp angles in various cubes throughout the building. But the concrete is broken by stunning greenery enticing you to enter.
When you enter the café it’s hard to make out the true size of the building. The space was like a maze. Every time you wandered through each part of the cafe, there was a new spot to be discovered, either small and intimate or open and breathtaking. There were various levels with mezzanines and terraces and even a large outdoor area.
There was a wide range of materials used throughout the café. Golden coloured wood was used in some of the furniture and archways, skirting and floors, metal and glass were also used in parts of the space. However the dominate material was concrete. Both the interior and exterior walls were almost entirely made of concrete.
Yet, while there was a lot of concrete in the space, it was not cold at all, rather warm and inviting. Beautiful lush greenery either growing on the terraces or gardens cancelled out the coldness of the concrete. And the maze like organization of the space made it feel not so empty and cold. Huge windows let in natural light into the space adding more warmth to it. Interesting there was little to no artwork in the space. Instead the artwork was the space itself, that alongside the beautiful greenery.
The seating was organised in various ways. There were normal table and chairs, a large communal table for working, benches and even lounge chairs. This meant that the café could be used to work, socialise or relax.
While there was a lot of people in the space, it didn’t feel cramped at all. Instead, there was a peaceful atmosphere to the space. Also since the space was so sectioned off, there was a lot of privacy for each group.
In the outdoor area there was various seating in the garden and even a pool and deck, complete with decking chairs. My friend and I sat in the garden where we could truly appreciate the building.
This is not the first Conhas mentioned on the blog. The Hapjeong branch, which sadly no longer exists, was one of the first cafes reviewed on Dead Beats. There is also another branch in Hannam. Following the theme of the Hapjeong branch, in that it has taken an old home and repurposed it into a stunning café. From the feel and impeccable design of the space, the café must have once been the home of an architect.
For drinks I got an iced milk tea and my friend got an iced americano. The milk tea was well brewed and had a bold tea flavour. It was also perfectly sweetened with a velvety texture. My friend said the coffee was well brewed and had a nice leveled flavour.
Conhas Yeonhuidong is an architectural marvel more than a café. In dead beat terms this is a spectacularly beautiful space that has the added bonus of serving food and drinks. It’s a must visit café that not only meets your every kind of social need, it’s also a place to appreciate the wonders of architecture.
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