Lita Bitter Bar
- LOCATION
- Bangi-dong, Songpa, Seoul
- SCALE
- 99㎡
- PURPOSE
- Bar
- SERVICES
- Space Design, Construction, Furniture Fabrication
- BUDGET RANGE
- KRW 85,000,000
- YEAR
- 2024
"A place you go out of your way to, for vinyl records and craft beer."
Bangi-dong in Songpa, Seoul, had an LP bar that held the same spot for decades. Lita Bitter Bar is what reopened in its place. At 99㎡ (30 pyeong), the project covered design, construction, and furniture.
After that many years in operation, the space needed work from floor to ceiling. Every existing finish and fixture was demolished, and the room was emptied completely before anything new went in.
The client wanted something rare for the neighborhood: an LP bar with real edge. The owner is a brewer, and the beer that comes out of the taps gets serious attention. Sound gets the same care. Oversized vintage speakers were brought in and tuned to the room, and the DJ booth plays actual records.
The direction was vintage, with materials chosen so it would never read as dated. The floor is red. It sets the weight of the whole space and gives it character. Walls, the bar counter, and furniture are in plywood with the grain left raw. The tone is light, so the room never turns dark. Plain wood over a heavy floor makes the space feel classic and easy at once.
The hall holds round tables and a long communal table, with a leather-sofa lounge further in. Wall shelves are filled with records. Glass globe pendants hang low over the tables so light gathers at each seat.
Behind the bar, the window looks out on an apartment complex. There is no particular view. So the window frame was treated like a picture frame. After dark, the lights of the complex hang in it like a painting. The care went into how the view is shown.