The aA Design Museum in Seoul
If you know me, you know I have a thing for chairs. having written previous posts on chair paintings , not once but twice, it's no surprise that the new aA Design Museum is something I simply had to write about.
Walking into the aA Design Museum is like being invited to a cool downtown loft party, with tons of amazing places to sit on designer chairs and sofas by everyone from Marcel Breuer to Tom Dixon, a cute place to eat, and unusual exhibits and info- even a showroom with furniture for purchase.
Above: The launch party on dec. 31st, 2007.
Above: the invitation to the launch which featured an appearance by designer Tom Dixon.
Korea's aA Design Museum was a dream of a lifetime for restaurant owner Mr. Kim. A combination design museum, cafe and furniture store, it's a loft type structure in the heart of the modern nightlife district of Mapu-Gu, Seoul.
Above: their appearance at the Seoul Design Festival
Begun three years ago and just opened this year to the public, it's housed in a very unusual environment. Although it has the eclectic appearance of a midcentury modern chair lover in a downtown loft, the tiles, balustrades and windows, some of which go right back to the turn of the century, were all flown in specially from Italy.
Combining vintage architectural elements, fabulous furniture and a bit of whimsy, make the aA design museum a place worth visiting. If you don't plan on hopping a plane to Seoul anytime soon, here are tons of images for you!
The Showroom:
The Museum:
The cafe:
No, not everything is "chairs".
An example of one of their exhibits:
Visit the museum online (however it is not in english).