Danshari Coffee

Over the past quarter century, the Orange Jasmine tree has been silently standing there in the corner of the garden, as the guardian witnessing the changing space, first the old house and then the coffee shop of today – Danshari coffee. Danshari occupies the first 2 floors of a four-story house.



All the family activities now take place only on the upper floors. The skeleton frame of the house remains almost the same, while the skin has been re-designed to serve new functions. Inspired by modern architecture – the triumph of vernacular architecture in Vietnam in the 20th century as well as V60 coffee dripper – logo of the coffee shop, the bespoken concrete breeze blocks, as the accent of the new skin, strategically absorb the context into the building through their hollows.

Whether they’re the lively living activities of the neighborhood on the ground floor or they’re direct sunlight and natural ventilation, into the common corridor, on the upper floors. The breeze blocks also recall atmosphere of the old Saigon to minimal coffee space.

Danshari can be accessed through a hidden entrance at the farthest corner. Once the door is open, the whole scene of the ground floor comes into sight – a communal table, an open brew bar and linear window seats oriented towards the garden. Spiral staircase leads to the balcony of the first floor where the surroundings gradually emerge. Scenery of the alley, the common yard, the century trees over the main road are all covered.


The modernism inspiration can be traced in the materials selected: terrazzo and exposed aggregate finish with diverse options of density and color to create desired types of surfaces, which have become signatures of Danshari. Last but not least, wood is added to balance the material palette. These 3 materials, resonated with light, the garden, the aroma of roasted coffee bean and the sound of daily life, have made Danshari atmosphere in the middle of Chợ Lớn, Saigon.

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