concrete brings the atmosphere of asian market stalls to amsterdam

concrete brings the atmosphere of asian market stalls to amsterdam
image © wouter van der sar / concrete

embodying the hustle and bustle of the street food culture in asia, dutch studio concrete has recently completed the amsterdam based restaurant happyhappyjoyjoy. serving up small dishes influenced by the market stalls seen in countries like thailand, malaysia, vietnam, china and south korea, the interior design and identity evokes an eclectic mix of the elements seen in the streets and alleys. this is reinforced with the use of bold colors, textures, prints and lighting seen throughout the five dining spaces- each capturing an individual essence that characterizes the food streets of asia.

red illuminated paper umbrellas hang upside down from the space
image © wouter van der sar / concrete

diners are welcomed by the large logo, written and illuminated in neon where the first space they come across is ‘the alley’. framed by the louvered glass doors, the alley is dedicated for quick, on the go food where it features different sized light boxes and high tables complemented with industrial-styled bar stools. the central restaurant space radiates a more asian-influenced ambience. all the walls are wrapped with vivid posters and artworks collected from the the various countries. most distinctively, is the collection of overlapping paper umbrellas that hang upside-down from the ceiling and softly illuminates the red.

the happyhappyjoyjoy neon sign is attached to both cabinets and lights up the room in neon red
image © wouter van der sar / concrete

walls are covered in colorful artwork, featuring a collection of posters and pamphlets collected in asia
image © wouter van der sar / concrete

the backstreet alley zone where a steel wall of hawker stalls rises in the back with four openings framing the kitchen
the space is also illuminated by five huge proplights by bertjan pot for moooi
image © wouter van der sar / concrete

through to the far end of the establishment is the ‘back street alley’ which is connected to the open kitchen. referencing hawker food stalls of singapore, each unit is framed by the busy activities of the kitchen and customers can eat facing where chefs work the woks, steamers and gas burners.

the series of spaces come together to give a playful and contemporary approach to asian restaurant interiors. while customers can choose where they would like to dine, each zone characterizes itself with a distinctive atmosphere, and at the same time is connected to each other. the different openings and doors of each area allow people to catch glimpses of the overall fusion of asian elements brought together in the dutch capital.

concrete designed the concept, name, interior design and identity of the whole restaurant
image © wouter van der sar / concrete