MADE LIM Café: A Cultural Regeneration Project by NONE SPACE

Introduction

The MADE LIM Café, designed by NONE SPACE, is a remarkable example of adaptive reuse architecture that transforms a 120-year-old church into a vibrant cultural and commercial space. Completed in 2022, the café occupies 1,570 square meters in Jung-gu, South Korea, and celebrates the layers of history, memory, and nature embedded in the original building.

Rather than erasing the past, the architects preserved heritage elements such as bricks, stained glass, and auditorium structures, creating a dialogue between old and new while honoring the building’s architectural and cultural legacy.

Concept: Embracing Time and Memory

The design philosophy prioritizes the accumulated time and historical value of the church, transforming it into a cultural forest space that embodies the brand story of Made Forest (“MADE 林”). The café encourages visitors to reconnect with nature and enjoy restorative experiences, aligning with the concept of May-Dream, a philosophy that emphasizes human longing for nature and calm.

This approach creates a regeneration architecture project, where history, culture, and contemporary use coexist harmoniously.

Spatial Composition

The café is organized into several key zones, each responding to the original building’s structure and contemporary functional requirements:

• Forest Hall (Main Hall): Houses the bakery, dining areas, and performance hall, offering communal experiences while preserving the church’s grandeur.
• Detached Forest House (Private House) and Heritage Hall (Dharma Hall): Contain experiential exhibition spaces, emphasizing cultural storytelling and interaction.
• Courtyards and Gardens: Interspersed throughout, these voids connect indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a sense of openness and serenity.

The project maintains the historic fabric of the church, using existing materials economically and sustainably while transforming them into immersive and functional spaces.

Materiality and Atmosphere

Preserved elements like stained glass windows, wooden beams, and brick walls retain the church’s character, while modern interventions enhance comfort, circulation, and functionality. The combination of light, texture, and natural materials ensures a warm and inviting atmosphere, encouraging guests to linger, relax, and explore.

Cultural and Environmental Significance

MADE LIM Café exemplifies how adaptive reuse can balance heritage preservation, cultural engagement, and sustainability. By celebrating layers of memory, the project connects visitors to collective history, creating a space where past and present coexist.

It also serves as a model for regeneration architecture, showing how old buildings can be revitalized without erasing their story, contributing to urban culture, and supporting environmental responsibility.

The MADE LIM Café by NONE SPACE demonstrates that architecture can be a bridge between time, culture, and nature. Through thoughtful restoration, spatial innovation, and brand storytelling, it transforms a historical church into a dynamic cultural hub that welcomes the present while honoring the past.

All the photographs are works of Haneol Kim