Located in Songpa-dong, a quiet residential pocket of Seoul’s Songpa-gu district, cafe Round Circle by Atelier OA redefines what it means for a café to be social.
Rather than prioritising capacity or commercial visibility, the Seoul-based studio centred its approach on connection—between barista and guest, between material and light, and between the café’s purpose and its form.
Founded on a philosophy of clarity, balance, and honesty, Atelier OA approaches each project with a deep respect for the relationship between people and their surroundings. The studio takes inspiration from Louis Sullivan’s enduring principle that form follows function, believing that every element within a space must exist with intent. In cafe Round Circle, these ideas are distilled into a compact yet deeply expressive café interior that invites conversation and comfort in equal measure.
The client’s vision was simple but profound: to create a place where communication came naturally. Instead of filling the interior with as many seats as possible, Atelier OA developed a spatial composition centred around openness and interaction. The key to this lies in the café’s defining feature — a square void carved into the centre of the bar counter.
Within this recessed zone, the barista stands surrounded by guests, preparing coffee while facing them directly. The gesture is modest but transformative, collapsing physical boundaries and creating a warm, human-scale experience. Guests can watch, converse, and participate in the ritual of coffee-making without the formality of a traditional counter setup.
As the studio explains, this concept emerged from the owner’s own philosophy: valuing communication above all else. “He wanted to literally step inside the counter to be closer to people,” the designers say. This act of closeness, embodied spatially, became the foundation of Round Circle’s identity.
Reflecting the café’s name, the central table — which also serves as a shared workbench — was designed with soft, continuous curves. Crafted from birch plywood, it embodies both structural practicality and emotional warmth. The choice of birch was intentional; its light tone and tactile grain bring a sense of calm that resonates with the café’s residential context.
“We wanted the material to feel honest and familiar,” they note. “It’s not about luxury but about comfort — about creating an environment where guests can feel at ease and engage in relaxed conversation.” The table’s gentle form draws people together, subtly reinforcing the café’s theme of inclusivity and connection.
