CÀ PHÊ CÔ

With a large community of Vietnamese pupils and the second generation of business owners, the Czech Republic is growing and refining its Vietnamese culinary culture. With one location in Brno and one in Prague, Cà Phê Cổ brings customers to the exotic settings of Hanoi. From the moment one enters the restaurant,  is invited into a vibrant space filled with lush greenery, lanterns, and wicker furniture, all imported directly from Vietnam. With a background of working in Asia, the founders of KOGAA draw constant inspiration from the Asian culture, from the way of living, craftsmanship, and architecture. The design for Cà Phê Cổ introduces various typologies of sitting in the space planning, such as the dense bench-like sitting, evoking the outdoor cramped restaurants typical of the Asian culture, and encourages customers to sit closely to each other, in an informal setting. Lush greenery, washed walls, rattan details, and wicker seating, further imprint the sense of South-eastern asian experience as do the wooden window shutters used on the bar and seats, and the handmade ceramic bowls as walls décor. The studio founder, Alexandra Georgescu, invited local Czech designers to create a personal take on the Vietnamese character, such as studio Nahaku, which created four large custom-made chandeliers (Brno) and the top of the bar (Prague) out of corrugated plastic, which resembles the Asian lantern, with a contemporary take. All wooden parts were custom-made with local carpenters from solid wood, as well as the metal parts, all produced in the Czech Republic.