chopstick screens and greenery form both social and private spaces for ippudo vietnam

tucked away from the hustle and bustle of ho chi minh city center, ippudo vietnam is the first branch of the famous japanese ramen restaurant. sited adjacent to a publicly-accessible pool, the design of the site has been led by takashi niwa architects as renovation project, in which an existing eight meter-high, two-story steel structure has been converted to a restaurant with a semi-outdoor space. greenery and wooden chopsticks are used as screens to provide privacy for the diners, offering an enhanced viewing experience from the space that is both multi-layered and memorable.

all images by hiroyuki oki

ippudo vietnam is located in an emerging residential area, where rapid city development is resulting in a lack of consideration with the surroundings. takashi niwa architects intended to create a design that connected the community, a social setting where activities and interaction could take place. as the restaurant is located in a tropical climate, the focus is to utilize the power of plants by using ample amounts of greenery. the design team created a multi-layered landscape by overlapping multiple green screens. the space in-between these screened elements becomes the dining area, humanizing the spacious semi-outdoor space.

guests are greeted by a pool and undulating planters made of exposed recycled bricks upon arrival. the dining floor gradually descends towards the pool in order to include it as part of the design consideration, while being gently carved by the overlapping greenery. an arc-shaped counter facing the main kitchen extends outwards to form a higher platform level, which acts as the entrance to the second floor. the non-linear nature of the landscape further enhances the spatial depth of the dining area while providing privacy to the guests.

a signature of the space is the design of locally-made wooden chopstick screens, a natural material aimed to express and embrace vietnamese craftsmanship. by night, the chopstick screens create a rhythmic façade, and complement the green landscape by day. the screen panels feature a curtain-like opening that provide privacy when seated, with frames that gradually rotate at eye-level to provide views outward. these layered shades of green and wood celebrate human activity and create a multi-dimensional landscape by day and by night.

project info: 

name: ippudo vietnam
status: completion 03.2019
program: restaurant (renovation)
location: md2 nguyen van linh street, district 7, ho chi minh city, vietnam
site area: 640 sqm
GFA: 840 sqm
client: pizza 4ps corporation
design firm: takashi niwa architects (architecture, landscape and furniture)
design team: takashi niwa, nguyen le khanh duy, nguyen van khuong, vu thi thanh huong, yukari akutsu
contractor: toan dinh (tran duc nha, bui thanh tien, mai minh nhat, truong nguyen minh hau)
products: taicera, vietceramic, betonlab, toto, caeser
photographs: hiroyuki oki