A striking new coffee shop in Saigon, Vietnam, has captured attention with its bold red facade and unique hand-shaped entrance that stands out dramatically from the surrounding concrete buildings. The project, called Tạ Coffee, was designed by 72/8 Architects and represents an innovative approach to small-scale urban architecture in one of the city's dense residential neighborhoods.
The compact café occupies a narrow site within a typical row of concrete houses, but its curved red facade creates an entirely different architectural identity. Unlike the rigid, rectangular geometry that characterizes most buildings in the area, the café features a continuous, soft-edged form that resembles a welcoming hand. This organic shape provides a clear visual contrast with neighboring structures while creating an inviting atmosphere for potential customers.
The most distinctive feature of the design is a large circular opening that functions as both the main entrance and a display window. This hand-shaped opening allows pedestrians walking by to see the activity happening inside the café, creating a connection between the street and the interior space. The curved form effectively frames views in both directions, encouraging interaction between the café's patrons and the surrounding neighborhood.
The architects chose a saturated red finish as the central element of their design strategy. Applied as an exposed colored cement render, this bold surface treatment draws inspiration from traditional Southern Vietnamese materials, including lacquer finishes and yin-yang tiles, while using contemporary construction techniques. The intense red color immediately establishes the café's presence on the street and helps define the spatial atmosphere of the interior.
According to the design team at 72/8 Architects, the project explores how surface treatment, geometry, and color can completely transform the experience of a compact urban site. The café demonstrates that even small-scale architectural interventions can have a significant impact on their surroundings when designers thoughtfully consider how buildings interact with their context.
The Tạ Coffee project represents a successful example of how contemporary architecture can respect traditional materials and cultural references while creating something entirely new. By departing from the typical orthogonal forms found throughout Saigon's residential areas, the café shows how creative design can bring fresh energy to dense urban environments while maintaining a sense of place and cultural identity.
