BackArts & Culture » Culture » Saigon's Instant Street Furniture

Saigon's Instant Street Furniture

Public space in Saigon can be easily understood as an endless source of spontaneous, if not random, design solutions.

Concrete bricks or small wooden boards may seem like abandoned objects, but more often than not, they represent basic, utilitarian pieces of furniture for sidewalk cafes and eateries.

Depending on the situation, the furniture may vary. At its most basic level, a piece of cardboard atop a concrete ledge will suffice, but then you have your mainstream plastic stools, wooden benches and lawn chairs. There are also extremes on each end – hammocks for those who can take a nap amid the roar of traffic and, in a pinch, the famous squat position where your body, in effect, becomes a piece of furniture.

While there are plenty of mass-produced pieces occupying space on the city’s streets, some of the most impressive specimens are DIY pieces sometimes challenging the laws of physics.

Some seating solutions can act as signals. For instance, spotting a row of striped lawn chairs indicates there’s a good chance that a glass of cà phê sữa đá or a refreshing sinh tố is in your future.

It would be easy to describe what a Saigonese has been doing all day by simply cataloging the various seats they have been occupying.

The diversity is such that if one were to take on a more academic approach, they could put together a unique design catalogue of Saigon’s urban furniture.

Landscape Jardins is a company with more than 30 years of experience in exterior design settled in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro – Rio Grande do Sul). Our projects explore the relation between men and nature. Public parks, private gardens, urban developments, condominiums, resorts, etc.: the combination of passion and know-how is our key to achieve innovation and excellence.

Related Articles

in Culture

10 Incredible Churches in Nam Dinh

While they get the most attention, the Cathedrals in Saigon and Hanoi pale in comparison with Nam Dinh’s. Not only does the province boast this magnificent architectural specimen, but also a plethora ...

in Culture

10 Incredible Photos Of Life On Hanoi's Train Tracks

Traffic in Vietnam is crazy but the train tracks that skirt through Hanoi’s residential areas reach levels of insanity.

in Culture

10 Photos Of The Amazing Vietnamese Spider-Men

While some Vietnamese cities have begun to move their tangled nests of electricity wires underground, they are still a ubiquitous feature of many urban neighborhoods.

in Culture

12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 1

Though Saigon has lost quite a bit of its verdant luster over the years, there are still patches of green throughout the city that are worth checking out. Vietnam Coracle has made a handy guide to som...

in Culture

14 Incredible Satellite Photos Of Vietnam

There are plenty of hi-tech ways to show Vietnam’s beauty – time lapses and drone panoramas to name a few. But a less common vantage point is from above. Way above.

in Culture

15 Amazing Moments Captured On Vietnam’s Streets

In Vietnamese cities, streets are where life happens. With few parks available to the country’s urban masses, they serve as everything from entertainment venues to wedding halls to restaurants. They a...

Partner Content