Amoje Food Capital in Lotte Shopping Mall by Karim Rashid


L’enfant terrible of the design world, Karim Rashid has designed yet another whimsical-looking food court / landmark / socializing area in his engaged technicolour style. Rashid and his team of architects (Juliette Hyunju Lee, Alex Loyer Hughes, Kamala Hutauruk, Mike Gibson, and Mana Mohammadkhani) were commissioned to design the interior of the Amoje Food Capital restaurant located at the Lotte Shopping Mall in Seoul.

Spanning across 900 square metres, the restaurant is divided into centrifugally positioned islands which creates an interesting dynamic that prompts the diners to communicate and interact.

The swirling interior is bursting with hyper-sensory experiences and colours. The hypnotic floor pattern is two toned, while white, orange, lime, fuscia and blue are used to highlight the setting. True to his form, Karim Rashid uses undulating curves, which he calls “technorganic”, in designing Amoje Food Capital’s walls, chairs, tables, and partitions. The amorphous ceiling conceals soft lighting, while sweeping columns, which separate the dining islands, resemble nuclei from which long meandering tables branch off.

Interior design at the Amoje Food Capital in Lotte Shopping Mall by Karim Rashid

An array of different geometries creates impressive visual highlights, which appear to have a mind of their own, and a sense of motion within the space to help customers find their way around the area. Curvilinear openings in eye-catching colours, concealing cash registers, are scattered throughout, while snack posts are carved into the surrounding outline. Interestingly enough, there isn’t a single sharp corner at the restaurant.

The designer says: „Amoje Food Capital plays on the idea of the spacial, visual landmark as a gathering place. It creates a recognizable, iconic location in the space for people to gather, meet, socialize and eat in colour!” By blurring the boundaries between technology and organics, Rashid delights the senses and creates a memorable futuristic dining experience. If it is really true that warm colours and lively ambiance stimulate the appetite, than Amoje Food Capital has nothing to worry about its future.

Green bench and white tables at the Amoje Food Capital in Lotte Shopping Mall by Karim Rashid

Interior design at the Amoje Food Capital in Lotte Shopping Mall by Karim Rashid

Interior decor of the Amoje Food Capital in Lotte Shopping Mall by Karim Rashid

White floors and ceiling at the Amoje Food Capital in Lotte Shopping Mall by Karim Rashid

Green chairs and white tables at the Amoje Food Capital in Lotte Shopping Mall by Karim Rashid


Daily Newsletter

Subscribe to Jebiga for a dose of the best in gear, design, rides, tech and adventure.