[Photos] Colorful New Coffee Shop Brings Cargotecture to Can Tho

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March 12, 2021

Do you sometimes find vintage coffee shops too cluttered and just want to experience something different?

This recently opened cafe in Can Tho swings to the opposite extreme on the local style scale towards barren cleanliness and just a touch of industrialism. Called Goon Yard, the venue was designed by Saigon-based Ksoul Studio on a 230-square-meter lot.

It’s apparent that its makers were inspired by cargotecture, a design movement that focuses on sustainability by repurposing shipping containers into residential and commercial structures.

The easily recognizable corrugated receptacles have popped up in urban centers around the world as a new solution for commercial waste. In Vietnam, Saigon’s The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre and this Nha Trang hostel are some examples of local cargotecture.

Now, we don’t believe Goon Yard was fashioned out of actual old shipping containers, though its walls bear the same corrugated pattern in contrasting shades of orange, deep blue and white.

Black steel table sets and concrete textures round out the industrial feel of the cafe. The use of the key color scheme is cohesive, and the interior’s restrained use of decor is comforting.

Many coffee shop projects in Vietnam focus on repurposing existing spaces, often in abandoned tube houses or apartment units, so Goon Yard represents an alternative direction that’s different, in a good way. Judging by the amount of attention the place has gotten on social media channels, local Gen Z-ers are taking notice.