5 Personalized Ritual Spaces to End the Year: From Exhibition to Transcription

as the year draws to a close, what we need more than a fancy party may be time to process and pamper ourselves. exhibitions, cafes, tea houses, and even a diary shop. here are five end-of-year ritual spaces inSeoul where you can hit the pause button and focus on yourself amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

1. off the Record: Finding Yourself in the Records at Gummi Exhibition

held in the Seoul Forest neighborhood, mindfulness platform Undermi’s exhibition Off the Record offers a mirror to your inner self through the candid records of others. you can reconnect with the ‘real you’ through the experience of looking through the records of 130 people, empathizing with them, and writing your own story. it’s free to visit, but advance reservations are required, and you can enjoy a leisurely visit with a drink from coffee brand Kanu.

• address: 2F, 18, Seoul Forest 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Korea

2. the Writing Room: A quiet immersion in reading and writing

the Writing Room is a space of isolation and immersion that is strictly for one person. you can book your choice of ‘Reading hour’ or ‘Writing hour’ in an electronics-free environment. it’s the perfect place to find unexpected solace in reading handwritten notes left by others, or to quietly fill your own pages and organize your thoughts for the year ahead.

• address: 4F, Yale Building, 40, Deunggye-ro 27-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

3. my Secret Den: A contemplative hideaway in the heart of the city

overlooking the stone walls of Deoksugung Palace, My Secret Den is a day and night space with a twist: by day, it’s a shared study with limited conversation for deep contemplation, and by night, it transforms into a lounge for sharing tastes over wine. on days when you don’t want to be completely isolated but need just the right amount of distance, it’s a great place to sit by the window and end the day reading a book or writing in your journal.

• address: #401 Hyunjin Building, 9 Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

4. ado Tea House Gyeyeongbae Branch: A cup of tea to soothe your emotions

‘ADO’ means ‘the way out of your pain’. here, a simple questionnaire will recommend the perfect ‘mind discharge’ tea for your current emotional state. as you enjoy tea and Korean sweets such as garaetteok and persimmon, while admiring the crafts in the earthy, calming space, you’ll feel the sharp corners of your mind being rounded off.

• address: 5th floor of Ago Building, 16 Eonjuro 173-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

5. punktum: hold onto the sentences that pierce your heart

a showroom and transcription space for stationery brand CompositionStudio, Punktum is a place to capture the words that hit home. open by appointment only, the transcription zone allows you to slow down your thoughts as you transcribe sentences from a staff-selected blind book with a fountain pen. choose a new year’s journal, immerse yourself in the writing process, and create your own routine while listening to carefully curated background music.

• address: 3F, 57-6, Yanghwaro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea