S'mores Saigon - Phan Tôn

architechu

ma non troppo
-
: But don't overdo it.
-
It reminds me of a place I visited a long time ago at the mouth of Gwangbok-ro, Jung-gu, Busan. It was the summer of 16. It was a time when cafes were just booming in Busan. At that time, a shabby, narrow-floored building in Jung-gu had been turned into a cafe. Although it was small, it was very interesting that he tried to continuously show scenes of the space up to the roof. It is a common type now, but at the time, it was not an easy idea to change all the old buildings like this one by one. The walls and stairs of the old building were kept intact. A space in an appropriate way to protect what needs to be kept, and to break down and change things that need to be changed. The reason I remember that space is because there is such a space here in Ho Chi Minh.
-
To talk about today's space, we need to know the history of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh was occupied by Western countries. France occupied Vietnam here. And at that time, this place was called 'Saigon' as we commonly know it. However, in 1945, in the same year as Korea, Ho Chi Minh was the center and liberation was celebrated. it is liberation And I decided to call this city 'Ho Chi Minh' after him.
-
Since then, cities have inherited a system completely different from that of Korea and developed, but the pattern of city creation is similar. Ho Chi Minh, which developed mainly on agriculture, begins to see capital inflows, and like ours, it depicts a city with a mix of styles. There is the style of the border country of China, the style of Japan, which quickly brought capital to this area, and the modern concrete building with the 'Dome Ino' system applied. At that time, it was difficult to procure the quantity, so there are places where buildings were built in the same way as in Korea [the method of building a building by stacking bricks; Finally, there are French neoclassical buildings built during the colonial period. This city is rich in the style of space. The streets of Paris, where the language of the city is arranged and the horizontal system is applied, is also beautiful, but in terms of urban richness, I think such a city is more beautiful.
-
A space in such a city is the protagonist of today.
-
This space is an old building like the building in Jung-gu, Busan. And the same masonry building. The method is the same, such as tearing down unnecessary parts and reinforcing necessary parts. However, if there is something else, the area of the building seen from the entrance looks small, but it is deep behind. You can go back a long way. Since the floor is a long rectangular shape, the long station, which can be easily seen on average in cafes, naturally fits into the shape of the floor. The stairs are as they were in the past. Old bricks can be seen through the cracks in some places. And as it is a summer country, outdoor seating is a must. On the 2nd floor terrace, you can drink coffee while looking out. And all you need is a seat. Pour concrete again to make a chair and position the desk. Tear down some floors to create a cool open atrium in between. It is narrow and long, but abundant. The sense of space is rich. To get from the second floor to the back, you have to use the stairs about half the floor. There is a middle floor there, but it is still half a floor down, so the floor height is higher than the second floor. None of these spaces have the same floor height or the same floor shape. It creates the maximum sense of space by touching little by little in the frame of the given existing space. Preserving and remembering things from the past, touching only the necessary parts and writing them well. At the same time, glass blocks are beautifully stacked on the facade of the building [viewed from the east, west, south, and north facades] to add a modern appreciation. Of course, the original frame of the building remains.
-
People are doing well here. As it is a cozy and rich sense of space, people are spread out here and there, and the way they sit and do things is different. Couples who use laptops, dating couples, student spaces for homework assignments are abundant, and the actions and scenes of people using them are diverse.
-
So, in order to accompany all of this, the intention of the designer who recognized the historical fact and knew what to protect and change is clearly revealed. A little touch and a little addition. That's it.
-
things are But don't overdo it: this is Ho Chi Minh's s'mores saigon caffe.
-
Location _ 1A Phan Tôn, Ward, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 70000 Vietnam (VN)
-
Parking _ Only for motorcycles
-
Business hours _ 08 ~ 22
-
The menu is attached. Pak Sio [Vietnamese condensed milk coffee] It's really good. Please enjoy.
-
PS. This space is being operated in accordance with the Vietnam government corona prevention guidelines. Please note that there is no inconvenience in using the space.