A vibrant corner location in Tay Ninh City, Vietnam, has been given new life through an innovative architectural renovation project. Bing Thom Architects has successfully transformed an aging, typical Vietnamese townhouse that had seemingly lost its potential for redevelopment into HỚP Cafe, a striking 178-square-meter coffee shop that opened in 2025.
The renovation project, led by architects Nguyen Gia Hung and Nguyen Chi Tai, with design team member Thanh Phuc and project management by Nguyen Dang Khoi, represents a thoughtful approach to urban renewal. The original structure presented significant challenges, with an interior space that was fragmented, dimly lit, and nearly devoid of life. However, the architectural team recognized the building's underlying potential and developed a clear design direction that would breathe new life into the space.
The design concept emerged from careful observation of the urban context rather than imposing an external vision. The architects noted that modern cities often feel dry and hurried, where people frequently only see each other's surface interactions. This observation became central to the cafe's architectural narrative, which uses contrasting materials and spatial experiences to create deeper human connections.
The exterior renovation preserves the building's raw concrete walls and columns while adding metal cladding that creates a hard, cold, and sharp aesthetic. This material choice serves as a deliberate metaphor for contemporary urban imagery – distant, solemn, and closed off. The architects describe this as just the surface layer, comparable to first impressions between strangers in urban environments.
Inside, the space undergoes a dramatic transformation. The entire interior was restructured using warm materials including dark wood, soft fabrics, warm brown tones, and calming green elements. Rather than displaying itself prominently, the interior space invites gradual discovery, functioning like an inner voice or a deeper gaze that reveals warmth beneath the cold exterior.
The architectural philosophy behind HỚP Cafe emphasizes that buildings should do more than simply shape physical space – they should also touch human emotions. The metal and concrete exterior serves as a protective shell that appears strong and steadfast, while the interior materials including wood, fabric, warm browns, greens, and living plants speak to softer human needs for warmth and connection.
This design strategy creates a deliberate contrast between the urban environment outside and the intimate atmosphere within. The city continues its busy pace just beyond the cafe's walls, but inside, visitors find a preserved sense of familiarity and comfort that encourages them to slow down and connect with others.
HỚP Cafe doesn't attempt to separate itself from the surrounding urban environment but instead chooses to create a pause within it. The architects designed the space to invite people inside, where crossing the threshold creates an immediate shift in rhythm and atmosphere. The goal is to provide visitors with sufficient peace and comfort to pause their busy lives, stay longer than they might have planned, and truly see and connect with other people.
The project demonstrates how thoughtful architectural intervention can revitalize neglected urban structures while addressing broader social needs. By preserving the building's structural bones while completely reimagining its interior experience, Bing Thom Architects has created a space that serves both practical needs for coffee service and deeper human needs for connection and contemplation.
The cafe's location at 47 Le Duan Street, Quarter 1, Tay Ninh positions it strategically within the city's urban fabric, making it accessible to residents and visitors seeking respite from the fast-paced urban environment. The renovation preserves the building's relationship with the street while creating an interior sanctuary that encourages meaningful social interaction.
Photography by Anh Chuong captures both the stark exterior materials and the warm interior spaces, documenting how the architectural concept translates into actual built space. The images reveal the successful integration of industrial materials with softer interior elements, showing how the design concept creates the intended emotional journey from urban hardness to interior warmth.
This project represents a growing trend in Vietnamese architecture where designers are finding ways to preserve and adapt existing urban structures rather than demolishing and rebuilding. The approach demonstrates environmental responsibility while maintaining continuity with the city's architectural heritage, proving that innovative design can emerge from constraints rather than unlimited resources.
