“Knock the Door” is a renovation project that transforms the Grand Conference Room of Hanyang University’s ERICA Campus main building, originally constructed in the 1980s. This space had long served as a venue for significant events and VIP visits. However, the program has been redefined to serve as a rest and community space for students and staff. Designed with luxurious materials and aesthetics of its time, the original room carries a sense of classical elegance that now feels somewhat authoritative. The project seeks to preserve the traces of this history while adapting the space to new users and purposes. As a place that holds the campus’s timeline from its foundation to the present, the intention is to embrace both the past and the evolving present.
The doors of the conference room no longer merely function as physical connectors between spaces—they now symbolize a bridge between past and present, and between different generations of users. By removing the wall that faced the hallway, the space was opened up to create a more welcoming atmosphere. At the same time, parts of the original ceiling and wooden molding were preserved to maintain aesthetic continuity. These elements serve as symbolic remnants, blending harmoniously with modern interventions so that both the former and current purposes of the room can coexist. Through this transformation, the space becomes one of memory as much as function.
This space was designed as a flexible open area where people can come and go freely, relax, and engage in communication. It offers a multi-functional environment suited to various user needs.
The Café Lounge is an open café operated by a barista with disabilities. It features an island table and built-in kitchen fixtures. A unique ceiling structure and differentiated color palette give the café a sense of distinctiveness, while the lack of physical walls ensures the space feels open and unconfined.
The Active Lounge is designed to be a playful, versatile rest area with round wooden benches and swing chairs. The benches can be freely rearranged to accommodate different group sizes and purposes.
The Relax Lounge is a more tranquil area compared to the Active Lounge. It includes sofas, 2- and 4-person tables, and rugs to create a cozy space for casual conversation.
The Bar Lounge offers scenic views of the ERICA campus lake and lawn. A bar-height table is framed with an "M-board" to create a space where users can sit back and enjoy the landscape through the window.
The Meeting Lounge is equipped with a large communal table for group discussions and meetings. A circular ceiling structure and soft lighting were added to avoid a rigid atmosphere and foster a more relaxed and inviting environment.
The Counseling Lounge features independent seating with sofas and tables for one-on-one or small group consultations. A mesh curtain made of metal material is used at the front to provide a sense of separation without full enclosure, ensuring privacy without isolation.
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