Another Layer is a minimalist space located in Seoul, South Korea, designed by ALX. The space represents a fascinating convergence of brand identity and spatial experience. Where many design studios treat their physical space as mere backdrop, here the environment becomes an active participant in the creative process. The transparent glass blocks that define the meeting and work areas create what designers call “borrowed light” – a technique with roots in traditional Korean architecture, where sliding screens and translucent panels allowed spaces to breathe and flow into one another.

This transparency carries deeper cultural significance in Seoul’s dense urban fabric. In a city where space is precious and privacy often comes at a premium, the decision to embrace openness becomes a statement about collaboration and creative process. The glass blocks echo the material innovations of postwar European design – think of the glass brick facades that Charlotte Perriand championed in the 1960s – while addressing distinctly contemporary Korean concerns about work-life integration and creative visibility.

The material palette reveals ALX’s sophisticated understanding of Another Layer’s identity. Berlin red and sky blue aren’t merely brand colors here; they’re deployed as psychological tools. Red activates the creative zones, while blue provides moments of calm contemplation. Against this chromatic backdrop, stainless steel surfaces catch and reflect the filtered light, creating a dialogue between warmth and precision that speaks to the hybrid nature of contemporary design practice – part craft, part technology.

The white wood elements ground the space in tactile reality. Unlike the cold perfection of painted surfaces, wood grain provides what material theorists call “micro-texture” – subtle variations that the eye and hand recognize as authentic. This choice connects to Korea’s rich tradition of woodworking, where surface quality was considered as important as structural integrity.