SO.9
BRANDING, INTERIOR
So 9, which translates to ‘Number 9’, is the lucky number in Vietnamese culture. Situated in Waterloo, Sydney, So 9 restaurant serves up authentic Vietnamese street food in a refined, minimal and contemporary setting. The brief was to design a brand and store that was an homage to the client’s own Vietnamese roots as well as their Australian upbringing. The restaurant melds together traditional street food cues with a pared back interior inspired by the client’s love of fashion and Scandinavian design.
The interior has been designed around the preparation of the cuisine, with cooking stations for different traditional menu items, bringing the diner into the cooking experience. Detailed joinery creates implied boundaries providing intimacy whilst keeping the space open and a variety of seating styles allow for multiple dining experiences. Subtle references to Vietnamese style is made through forms and materials, however the interior presents a new environment to experience this artisan food.
BrandWorks engaged illustrator Beth-Emily to create several pieces of art for both the interiors and the menu. Beth-Emily’s quiet, spacious and reflective style speaks to the concept of families, journeys and collective memory we wanted to highlight in this project. This is also reflected in the carefully crafted type which features custom built diacritic accents.
