AKAARI is an old Japanese cuisine restaurant chain in Hanoi. The interior space of this time is expected to bring a new breakthrough, applying the quintessence of Vietnamese culture to a Japanese restaurant through interior design. Vietnam and Japan are two countries that have in one thing common which is the diversity and love for handicraft products made from bamboo, rattan, ceramics... Through this project, we want to affirm the potential and the application position is huge and breathe new life into such materials.

The current condition before the renovation is two Shophouse apartments located at the foot of the building in a newly urban area in Hanoi, which is a concrete block covered with glass - 2 modern and hard materials. Our challenge in design is to create a restaurant space That is both cozy, friendly and a bridge of Vietnamese and Japanese culture.With a floor height of about 4.5m for each floor, the design takes advantage of these heights in the common traffic space to create ventilation. Large spaces such as the entrance hall and the 2nd floor dining space are arranged with a wooden roof system inside. The private dining rooms also give the impression of entering another home space in the restaurant itself, contrasting with the dry image of the block from the outside.

The 2nd floor ceiling is a drop cloud system that partially covers the device and creates the effect of floating clouds in space. The private room on the 2nd floor is designed like a mezzanine floor, up by an iron ladder, the room divider is made up of large rattan walls, respecting the garden in the whole. The ceiling of the 3rd floor lobby is a wooden frame system, creating a feeling of depth and high, liberal for the ceiling. The facade of the existing building faces the large park in front but has a west direction. Therefore, a layer of buffer garden space is arranged right next to the glass wall to prevent strong natural light from entering the room and to decorate the rooms also. Diners can feel the layers of gardens spread one after another from the garden strip adjacent to the room to the park. 

The floor from the entrance hall and common spaces is made of sanded concrete mixed with gravel. Colorful ceramic tiles originating in Bat Trang - the famous Pottery village in Hanoi - are applied for the Sushi Bar and Dining room on the 2nd floor. The walkway in the floor leading to the rooms is designed to change direction with flexibility, relax in the infinite space, diners will have an experience like walking in a garden. The main staircase of the house is made of steel, wood, and rattan railing system, which has both an interior decoration effect for the interior and ensures vertical air convection in the surrounding 4-storey house. In this project, we experimented with making the most of the available skills of the craftsmen specializing in making lamps and handicraft items into a new situation where the components that make up the architecture such as: doors, partitions, ceilings, stair railings…. The size and proportions of knitting are studied to ensure that they have separating function but light, without creating the feeling of rigid solid walls.

AKAARI（日文意為「紅螞蟻」）是位於河內的老牌連鎖日本料理店，本次室內空間改造盼能營造出新的氣象，透過設計，把越南文化的精索融入日式餐廳。越南與日本兩個國家有共同點，例如竹子、藤編與陶瓷製等手工藝品相當豐富多樣，深受喜愛。透過這項計畫，我們想肯定這些材料具備的潛能，把這些材料應用到大型的位置，為其注入新生。在翻新之前，這棟房子是兩間街屋，座落於河內新都會區。建築是以玻璃包覆的混凝土建築，這是具有現代性的堅固材料。

我們的挑戰在於如何打造出餐廳空間，使之兼顧舒適友善的氣氛，並擔任越南與日本文化的橋梁。這間餐廳的設計中，每層樓挑高約4.5公尺，這樣可把公共人流空間高度拉高，有益通風。諸如入口大廳與二樓用餐區等大型空間，是採用室內木造屋頂當天花板。私人包廂也讓人在進入餐廳後，會覺得像來到另一個住家空間，和外頭枯燥乏味的街區予人的印象形成對比。

二樓天花板採用的系統像雲朵低垂，可遮蓋部分設備，產生雲朵在空間飄浮的效果。二樓私人包廂的設計則類似夾層，登上鐵製階梯即可進入，這間包廂以大型藤編牆當成隔間牆，這麼一來，依然能與花園保持整體性，不會涇渭分明，將之屏蔽在外。三樓大廳的天花板採木架構系統，營造深度與高度，賦予天花板自由感。原建築立面是面對前方的大公園，卻朝向西邊。設計師在大片玻璃窗旁安排庭園空間作為緩衝，以防強烈的自然光直射室內，同時也能裝飾空間。用餐者可感受到庭園層層展開，可連接到房間，也連接到公園。

入口大廳與公共空間的地面混合碎石與細骨料混凝土，色彩繽紛的磁磚來自河內知名製陶村——鉢塲社，並應用到二樓壽司吧與用餐空間。這層樓的步道會通往包廂，但設計上能讓人隨心所欲，決定行進方向，這麼一來空間似乎沒有局限性，用餐者會心情放鬆，像走進花園。主樓梯以鋼、木頭與藤造欄杆系統打造，不僅在室內呈現裝飾效果，並可確保樓梯周圍的四層建築，能保持垂直空氣對流。在這項計畫中，我們嘗試讓製燈師與手工藝師傅的技藝發揮到最大，進入新境界，他們的手藝可成為建築元素，例如門、隔間、天花板、樓梯欄杆⋯⋯等。編織物的大小與隔牆皆經過研究，確保具備隔間的機能，但十分輕盈，不會產生堅固牆面的僵硬感。