INRE studio installs dessert restaurant within vietnamese row house

in vietnam, INRE studio has transformed the ground floor of a 1990s residential building into a small dessert restaurant. named ‘the proscenium’, the eatery is located in the heart of ho chi minh city in an area populated with traditional row houses. the original architecture featured decorative greek-style columns and moldings, elements which have since vanished as the neighborhood underwent constant redevelopment.

all images by hiroyuki oki

the previously existing building was partitioned from the street with a defensive iron gate, and included a space-consuming staircase. INRE studio’s design focused on removing these two elements within a limited budget. in addition, the building’s wooden door was replaced with a fragmented glass window, designed to symbolize the multitude of relationships between inside and out. protruding from the façade, a simple counter draws attention from the street to the interior.

a cake counter is found near the entrance

the next stage involved converting the long and narrow residential setting into a restaurant. the interior is now organized around a feature steel staircase, which, in turn, helps distribute the restaurant’s functions. with the stairs at its center, a continuous chain of counters and surfaces extends throughout the space with decorative elements eliminated as much as possible. a cake counter is found near the entrance, while the kitchen is positioned at the rear of the scheme.

a continuous chain of counters and surfaces extends throughout the space

the interior is organized around a feature steel staircase

the staircase helps distribute the restaurant’s various functions

an open kitchen is positioned at the rear of the scheme

looking at the dessert restaurant from above

decorative elements have been eliminated as much as possible

the eatery is located in the heart of ho chi minh city

protruding from the façade, a simple counter draws attention from the street

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project info:

name: the proscenium
architects: INRE studio / kosuke nishijima
location: district 1, ho chi minh city, vietnam
principal architect: kosuke nishijima
design collaborator: kuniko onishi
general construction: an binh gia co., ltd.
steel construction: TK industry vietnam co., ltd.
program: dessert restaurant
area: 78 sqm / 840 sqf
completed: november 2016
photography: hiroyuki oki

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