Architectural Cases

Where Urban Energy Meets Serene Escape: The 1999's Coffee by KQI Architect

Innovative Architectural Vision on a Bustling Corner

At a prominent intersection in Bà Rịa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, KQI Architect, under the guidance of architect Kiến Quân, has brought to life The 1999's Coffee. This 210-square-meter cafe acts as a mediator, deftly balancing the rapid pace of urban existence with the desired tranquility of daily pauses.

Strategic Design for Natural Illumination and Comfort

Leveraging its advantageous corner location, the cafe's design ensures ample natural light penetration throughout the day. A long, west-facing sloped roof serves as an efficient sunshade, defining the building's silhouette while shielding the interior from intense afternoon sun. Beneath this canopy, a dynamic interplay of asymmetrical volumes creates an engaging facade that invites exploration from various angles rather than presenting a single, static face. The roof itself is adorned with small metal sheets of diverse colors, shapes, and sizes, meticulously layered to evoke the texture of fish scales, offering a subtle visual transformation with changing light.

Embracing Material Authenticity and Sensory Experience

The Vietnamese design team at KQI Architect has consciously selected materials such as natural stone, baked brick, woven reed panels, timber, and rammed-earth textures. These finishes are valued for their raw, tactile qualities, imbuing the space with a sense of familiarity and artisanal craftsmanship. This material selection underscores a focus on sensory experience, emphasizing ruggedness, warmth, and a comforting weight, reinforcing the cafe's purpose as a haven for physical and perceptual deceleration.

A Harmonious Interior Palette for Calm Reflection

The interior of The 1999's Coffee extends this material philosophy with a subdued color scheme of neutral tones, gentle yellows, and natural wood. Expansive windows draw abundant daylight into the cozy interior, visually extending the space while maintaining a feeling of intimate enclosure. The design eschews strong contrasts or excessive ornamentation, instead relying on the interplay of light, spatial proportion, and varied textures to cultivate a serene atmosphere.

Architecture as an Invitation to Pause and Reconnect

Through its fluid geometry, rich tactile elements, and meticulously managed lighting, the project offers an architectural solution that subtly prompts a shift in pace. It provides visitors with a dedicated place to unwind, take a deep breath, and temporarily disengage from the relentless rhythm of the surrounding streets, fostering a profound sense of peace and contemplation.

The newly unveiled Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, conceptualized by the esteemed Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), represents a harmonious blend of traditional Chinese garden philosophy and cutting-edge architectural innovation. Located on the serene shores of Jinji Lake, this expansive 60,000-square-meter complex is a testament to sustainable design and cultural reverence. Its unique structure, featuring twelve interconnected pavilions unified by an undulating, ribbon-like roof, subtly echoes the classic tiled eaves found in Suzhou's historic gardens.

The museum’s design not only pays homage to Suzhou’s rich heritage but also serves as a vibrant hub for contemporary art, offering a dynamic and engaging visitor experience. The initial exhibition, titled "Materialism," curated by BIG, delves into the intrinsic qualities of various architectural materials, providing a tactile journey through the studio's diverse projects. This exhibition, on view until March 2026, precedes the museum's grand official opening, which promises to establish Suzhou MoCA as a pivotal cultural landmark.

Architectural Harmony: Blending Tradition with Innovation

BIG's design for the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art is deeply inspired by the region's cultural identity, particularly the traditional Chinese 'lang' – a covered corridor that guides visitors through intricate gardens. This concept is reimagined as a dynamic network of interconnected exhibition spaces, courtyards, and pathways, fostering a fluid dialogue between the architecture and its landscape. Bjarke Ingels himself describes the museum as a "garden of pavilions and courtyards," where the built environment and nature are inextricably linked. The transparent galleries and porticoes act as vital conduits, creating what Ingels refers to as a "Chinese knot" of interwoven sculptural courtyards and exhibition areas. From an aerial perspective, the stainless steel roofs appear to undulate across the site like a living entity, their gentle contours drawing a visual connection between the bustling city and the tranquil lake.

The architects have skillfully employed warm-toned stainless steel and curved glass facades to capture and reflect the ever-changing hues of the sky and the lake. Inside, natural light permeates the galleries through strategically placed clerestories and skylights, casting captivating reflections and shadows that enhance the visitor's journey. Among the twelve pavilions, four are dedicated to the primary exhibition halls, while the remaining spaces house a versatile multifunction hall, a theater, a restaurant, and an impressive entrance area. A series of bridges and tunnels facilitate seamless circulation both above and below ground, ensuring climatic adaptability throughout the museum. Beyond the main buildings, a sequence of meticulously designed gardens extends towards the lake, providing outdoor areas for sculpture installations and public access even after museum hours, inviting a deeper engagement with the art and its surroundings.

“Materialism” Exhibition: A Sensory Journey Through Architectural Elements

For Catherine Huang, a partner at BIG, the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art project stands as a profound tribute to Suzhou's enduring relationship between architectural design and its natural landscape. She elaborates on how the 'lang,' a classic feature of Suzhou's historical gardens, is envisioned as gracefully weaving through the museum's landscapes, seamlessly transforming into distinct pavilions. This architectural marvel is also a beacon of sustainability, having achieved China's GBEL Green Star 2 certification, a recognition of its commitment to environmental design across both technical and social dimensions. Further cementing its status as a significant national icon, Suzhou MoCA was commemorated on an official China Post stamp in 2024, celebrating the city's impressive urban development around Jinji Lake.

The inaugural "Materialism" exhibition offers a fresh perspective on architecture, moving beyond conventional typological or geographical classifications. Instead, it meticulously organizes twenty of BIG's projects based on the fundamental materials from which they are constructed, encompassing elements like stone, earth, concrete, metal, glass, wood, fabric, plastic, plants, and recycled materials. Interactive seating elements dispersed throughout the galleries are ingeniously crafted from the very materials on display, transforming the exhibition into a deeply tactile and sensory exploration of texture, weight, and surface. Visitors are encouraged to experience architecture not merely as abstract images or models, but as tangible entities to be physically engaged with. Bjarke Ingels articulates that while the conceptual design phases are critical, the bulk of their work lies in the "materialization of the fiction into fact." He emphasizes that this exhibition is specifically dedicated to the material aspect of their profession, showcasing how architectural narratives are compellingly told through the chosen materials and the collaborative efforts that bring them to life.