With its impending opening later this month, we ask The Cave’s main conceptualizer, Ruah.EunHu Kim to describe this space. She answered, “Plain yogurt.” When asked to explain her choice, she says, “To be more specific, fat free plain yogurt. Well, when constructing the space, we figured the metaverse would provide all the spice and color which will and should contrast the plain surroundings, so having nothing is better for the experience to stand out.”
”Exorbitant Seoul real estate prices made open spaces with high ceilings in central locations such as The Cave’s hard to find. Given DoubleMe’s headquarters is on the upper floor of K-Square, located right in front of the iconic Cheonggye Stream, this location was perfect,” Ruah shared. The DoubleMe team had other choices in Gangnam but eventually chose the city hall area for its convenience for both locals and tourists alike.
Gwanghwamun is quintessential for any Seoul visitor given proximity to the palaces, other history-rich districts and popular Instagram-worthy spots such as Insa-dong, Samcheong-dong and Ikseon-dong. In addition, the four main gates are also a stone’s throw away, making it one of the city’s prime locations for offices and businesses too. This also opens up a multitude of collaboration opportunities in the vicinity as the metaverse becomes easily accessible and gradually part of peoples’ daily lives. Ruah says, “This building we’re in also has Woongjin (a Korean company with a long standing history building kids’ educational tools). Maybe we could make a metaverse amusement park, or meditation and mindfulness packs for kids.”
The Cave also wants to provide a restful sanctuary for the fast-paced city dweller in Seoul. “We dig underground to find this space through The Cave’s portal, where we see whales and all. May our visitors, tired from everyday life, find and create their own stories here,” says Ruah.
Despite the restful sanctuary positioning, if you’re a fan of adventure game, “Inside,” you might be confused with the game’s dark element. According to Kevin Lee, the lead designer for DoubleMe Inc’s Metaverse Experience Group, “The visual was my take on healing from playing a dark and scary game. Also, the Gotham typeface was chosen for "geometric structure" that would look “modern and fresh.”
The Cave will be open to the public later in Septembers (Dates TBC) at 24 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Basement Level 1.
Please follow on Instagram for more updates.
