Haeundae Galbi House, Busan building design

Haeundae Galbi House in Busan

23 October 2026

Design: Cho and Partners

Location: Busan, South Korea

Photos: Dahae Park

Haeundae Galbi House has been rooted in one place since 1964 and has become a landmark representing Haeundae. It began as a small establishment with just three rooms, but around 1970, when the Gyeongbu Expressway opened and Haeundae Beach started attracting more tourists, the restaurant grew alongside the development of the area. Over time, three hanok-style buildings were constructed, and modern structures were added above them, resulting in its current form. Now operated by the third generation, it carries 60 years of history and is preparing for a century-long legacy.

In the past, the restaurant embodied many symbolic elements: tiled roofs, a traditional gate, trees, a courtyard, alleys between buildings, low horizontal walls, a weathering steel facade with a large sign, and even the sight of domed pot lids before grilling. Rather than a single defining image, it was a collection of diverse elements. This diversity, shaped over time, gave visitors a sense of comfort and familiarity, evoking a distinctly Korean atmosphere.

The building still borders roads on three sides, with the main entrance now located at the rear. A new entrance replaces the traditional gate with an exposed concrete canopy and weathering steel walls. The central facade separates entry and exit, and visitors must pass beneath a deep eave before reaching the courtyard, making the act of entering itself an experience. The interplay of a grid structure and sunlight creates shadows that leave a lasting impression, allowing the space to form memories on its own.

The courtyard reinterprets the traditional yard. A lifted weathering steel wall and transparent glass create a fluid connection between inside and outside, nature and users, city and interior. With landscaping and water features, the courtyard functions as a waiting area, a central gathering space, and a small urban oasis.

The architecture reinterprets hanok principles in a modern way, not through visible decorative objects, but by emphasising the horizontal proportions of a single-storey structure, the spatial flow surrounding the courtyard, and the balance between openness and enclosure. Materials that age over time were chosen for the walls, embedding traces of time into the architecture. The weathering steel gradually oxidises from deep black to a warm orange tone; while its bright colour draws attention, its primary role is to soften the scale of the concrete exterior and create a sense of intimacy within the enclosed space.

The lower part of the walls is lifted to encourage natural visual flow. Perforated metal surfaces on the south side blur silhouettes from outside while allowing those inside to sense the city’s atmosphere. Western louvers frame views of the courtyard and landscaping.

Though everything is newly built, the space remains a place that holds memory. By layering past sentiment with new spatial order, this architecture establishes a temporal foundation that ensures the restaurant continues to live on for future generations.

Haeundae Galbi House in Busan, South Korea – Building Information

Architect: Cho and Partners — https://www.choandpartners.com/, Hyeonjin Cho, Chulho Lee, Soobin Kim

Project Title: Haeundae Galbi House
Client: Haeundae Galbi House
Engineer: Cho and Partners
Site area: 1,195.83 sqm
Built area: 532.74 sqm
Gross Floor area: 1,186.48 sqm
Building scale: 3 storeys above ground
Structure: Reinforced concrete
Location: Jung-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
Status: Completed
Project completion date: 2024
Cost: Not disclosed
Contractor: Lims Construction
Materials: floor — tile and stone; walls — weathering (corten) steel and exposed concrete; ceiling — special paint

Photographer: Dahae Park

Haeundae Galbi House, Busan, South Korea images / information received 231026

Location: Busan, South Korea, eastern Asia