Harim First Kitchen by Studio GIMGEOSIL – A Flagship Culinary Experience in Iksan

Harim First Kitchen in Iksan, South Korea, designed by Studio GIMGEOSIL, redefines the relationship between food, space, and brand experience. More than a market or retail environment, this 764 m² flagship store transforms Harim’s ready-meal identity into an immersive cultural destination—one that allows visitors to see, taste, and deeply engage with the brand’s evolving culinary philosophy.

Harim has expanded its influence through brands like The Misik, Melting Piece, and Foody Buddy, each rooted in a refined design language that blends visual identity with spatial storytelling. At Harim First Kitchen, this language is intensified through materiality, interaction, and sensory experience, establishing the space as a physical extension of Harim’s innovative culinary culture.

A Market Beyond Retail: Designing a Flagship Brand Experience

The project began with a central question: Does a market exist solely to display and sell products? Studio GIMGEOSIL’s answer was to create a hybrid environment that merges retail, storytelling, education, and leisure. The interior moves beyond commerce to form a place where visitors can linger, explore, and connect with the brand narrative. Here, Harim showcases not only its products, but its values—quality, transparency, and a commitment to culinary creativity.

Experiential Design Rooted in the Factory Context

Located adjacent to Harim’s production facility in Iksan, the project integrates the atmosphere of a functioning food factory into the visitor journey. For guests touring the manufacturing plant, Harim First Kitchen serves as both an extension and a culmination of the experience. Two core customer experience (CX) zones define this approach:

1. Café & Lounge for Rest, Reflection, and Collaboration

Recognizing the need for a comfortable post-tour environment, the design incorporates a warm, inviting café and lounge. This space allows visitors to relax, enjoy freshly brewed coffee, and continue exploring Harim products in a casual setting. For employees, the café doubles as a shared workspace—a zone for informal meetings, team conversations, and daily collaboration.

2. Interactive Kids Zone for Hands-on Culinary Engagement

Given the high number of younger visitors, Studio GIMGEOSIL created a playful and educational Kids Zone. This area integrates symbolic brand elements with hands-on programs such as DIY ramen-making, allowing children to engage with Harim’s culinary process in an intuitive and multi-sensory way. Through touch, play, and interaction, the space forms a memorable introduction to food culture and production.

Material Identity: Stainless Steel as a Connecting Language

Stainless steel becomes the project’s dominant material, bridging the aesthetic and functional gap between factory and market. Commonly used in industrial kitchens, the material conveys durability, cleanliness, and a sense of trust in food production. Its reflective, raw surfaces pair with controlled black accents to create a sharp, contemporary identity.

Within the market area, stainless steel shelving, tasting counters, and display zones define a unified spatial tone. The ramen display—one of the signature experiences—extends the factory narrative, emphasizing craftsmanship, transparency, and the sensory appeal of food preparation.

A Spatial Narrative of Production, Taste, and Culture

Harim First Kitchen serves as a new model for retail and food-driven brand environments. It dissolves the boundary between production and consumption, allowing visitors to witness how food is made, understand the brand’s culinary vision, and participate in the process through tasting, learning, and play.

All photographs are works of Kim Dongkyu