F-Coffee — Dong Hoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City-based architects Wangstudio have created a mesmerizing design for F-Coffee, a café located in the sleepy central Vietnamese town of Dong Hoi.  The structure is a series of 24 symmetrical red brick arches built into a quadrangle surrounded by a shallow moat and garden which reflects the curve of each arch to create an optical illusion of a full circle. ‘The design was based on the basic concept of minimalism – brick, concrete, stone, trees and water – to create a concise and emotional space,’ says Le Vu Quang, the firm’s principal architect.  Inside, light clusters create a chandelier-like lighting effect above, while each aspect of the building incorporates a door allowing cross ventilation, offering relief from the stifling tropical heat – a factor that doesn’t deter enthusiastic locals from the variety of Vietnamese-style coffee (espresso with condensed milk) and home-made cakes the café offers.