KONTUM INDOCHINE Cafe under Bamboo Umbrella

The umbrella-like tower is made entirely of bamboo, but it is more reliable than steel. The designers used traditional techniques such as fumigation and bamboo nails to build it. The highlight of a waterfront hotel in central Vietnam is a roof supported by 15 conical bamboo towers designed by Vo Trong Nghia. The tower's shape mirrors a typical Vietnamese fishing basket, a top-heavy bamboo structure arranged in a grid pattern in this open-air restaurant. Vo Trong Nghia designed the restaurant without any walls, which creates an unobstructed view of the surrounding shallow pool, in addition to the looming blocks and mountains in the distance. The top of the structure is covered with bamboo and contains both a weed layer and a fiber-reinforced plastic layer. In some places these plastic panels are exposed, which facilitates natural light into the dining room. There is no air-conditioning, but the designers believe the surrounding water and the shadows of the roof are enough to keep the space cool enough not to be uncomfortable even in the hottest seasons.