The Cooking Library is a new experiential concept space in Seoul that brings every aspect of dining under a single roof. The building and interior were designed by Blacksheep, a London studio behind several high-profile restaurant's around the world, though The Cooking Library is unlike a typical restaurant by a long shot. In fact, the space has little comparison at all.
As it's name suggests, The Cooking Library is fashioned after a typical library. However, instead of housing books alone, the space includes a repository of every necessity for creating a great meal. It indeed has thousands of cookbooks on voluminous shelves and plenty of quiet areas to peruse them, but it also has vast larders of spices and ingredients, kitchens stocked with every cooking tool imaginable (including professional grade ovens for baking bread), and elegant dining tables spread throughout. Guests are invited to transition through each of these spaces, deciding on recipes, picking up ingredients, cooking, and finally dining seamlessly.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Experiential Cooking Spaces
- There is a potential for creating more unique cooking spaces that offer an experience beyond the typical restaurant setting.
- Integrated Dining Experiences
- Opportunities exist for integrating the entire dining experience, from picking out ingredients to dining, into a single concept space.
- Curated Cooking Collections
- Creating curated collections of cookbooks and cooking tools could provide a niche market for foodies and cooking enthusiasts.
Sectors Adopting This
- Hospitality
- Hotels and resorts could incorporate experiential cooking spaces to provide guests with a unique dining experience.
- Retail
- Stores could offer curated cooking collections as a way to target foodies and cooking enthusiasts.
- Real Estate
- Developers could incorporate integrated dining experiences into new residential and mixed-use spaces to provide a unique amenity for residents and tenants.
