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.

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.

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.

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.