HANOI – With transparent materials, the coffee shop on the crowded street opens up open space and becomes a favorite check-in point for many young people.
On the land plot of an old house (demolished) in Mai Hac De Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, Tropical Forest Coffee shop is designed and built differently from ordinary houses. From the outside, the shop has a simple and modern frontage.
The idea of the shopkeepers is to want to create a garden space in the townhouse, with a tropical ecosystem of many types of trees, close to nature without too much investment.
The main structure of the building is a steel frame, surrounded by white smart plastic sheets (polycarbonate sheets). This material is almost transparent, allowing more than 80% of light to pass through. Except for the wall behind the bar, all the walls and roof surfaces are using transparent materials.
The shop has only one floor, but the height is up to 10 m, creating a wide open and airy space with plenty of natural light. Thanks to that, in the premises of the restaurant, it is possible to plant large trees that rise high.
The shop is divided into two main spaces. The outside is designed like a garden with a stone background. Trees are planted along the sides of the wall and there are tall trees. White painted steel frame system and smart plastic “penetrating” for a light, soaring feeling.
Dang Viet Loc (left), 4th year student of Architecture Faculty, University of Civil Engineering and Dang Tra Phuong is practicing drawing. The two people said that they often choose this place to drink coffee and practice sketching because of the open space, beautiful light and many perspectives.
The space inside uses air conditioning, separated from the outside by a glass wall. The center has stainless steel door as a highlight.
Inside, thanks to the glass wall separating from the outside and the plastic roof, the space is still filled with natural light. Next to the terrestrial plants are hanging plants and small plants grown in glass jars. This quiet area is suitable for individual or group work.
The counter is quite simple but eye-catching with the brown earth-colored wall.
From the bar, the innermost side of the bar can be seen through out.
Although it is a house with walls, roof, but everywhere can have sunlight thanks to the “penetrating” material. Outside the entrance of the restaurant, there are small gardens displaying a variety of ornamental plants both for decoration and for sale. The price for each pot is from a few tens to several hundred thousand dong.
The furniture of the restaurant is simple and modern but still has its own characteristics. In addition to coffee, the shop also has fruit juices and cakes. The price of food and drink is from 30,000 VND per dish.
vnexpress