There?s one sure way to make your building stand out on a street full of colorful but conventional architecture: give it some curves. For ?September Cafe,? a multi-level delight set between two houses in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, architecture firm Red5studio took swirling organic curvature to the extreme, and the result is truly stunning. Collaborating with interior design firm Ben Decor on a cohesive creative vision inside and out, the architects took inspiration from bird?s nests, using giant steel strips to adorn the facade.

That invitation to linger is a striking departure from the fast-paced café and restaurant culture in many other countries like the U.S., which often prioritizes moving patrons in and out quickly to accommodate the greatest possible number of people per day. Here, comfort is prioritized, and as you walk through each level and each outdoor terrace, you enjoy a feeling of discovery. With all that greenery in an urban environment and the visual interest of the architecture itself, you could spend hours just taking in the scenery.
One of the coolest things about this design is that the steel ribbons actually sway slightly in the wind, ?like a symbolic image of birds on a branch,? as the architects explain. That gives the building a dynamic feeling, almost as if it’s alive.
The designers explain that ?to create the familiar and characteristic feeling of September, we use gentle neutral tones such as white, beige, rose-orange, and natural wood ...