Mây House - Brno, Czech republic

Mây House, a bistro in the shadow of a rattan cloud

It’s an almost alfresco experience. The Mây House bistro in the heart of Brno (Czech Republic) is dominated by an impressive cloud of rattan mats. A nod to the concept of upcycling, it defines the large dining space beneath it.

“I learned from the client that mây is the Vietnamese word for rattan, and also cloud,” says Josef Řehák, interior designer from the Postrop studio, explaining the impulse behind the concept. The choice of chairs, and the associated idea of the upcycled cloud motif, were essential for him. “TON’s classic 811 chairs with the rattan weave and the cloud made of the same material above the space form the style that influences everything else,” he adds.

He brought on board NAHAKU, a design studio specialising in lighting and other products using recycled materials, or upcycling. Following an agreement with TON, the cloud was created from offcuts of the weave used during production to make the seats or backrests of classic bentwood chairs. “We made eight smaller modules in total. The weave remnants were hand-sewn onto metal frames with large holes, then the pieces were finished in situ. The modules are fixed to the ceiling individually, which means they can be taken down more easily for maintenance as required. The entire feature has an area of 24 m2. Studio NAHAKU also upcycled other components for its creation – the lampshades are made from empty printer toner cartridges.

The concept of upcycled materials is represented by one more product – the Logs coat hook, which was designed for TON by the studio Büro Famos. It is made from high-quality wood offcuts that cannot be used to make chairs.

The interior of the Mây House bistro works with the contrast of straight lines and curves or semicircles in a very soft palette with green and pink highlights. Ash wood is the dominant material. “We wanted to stand out from the typical Vietnamese restaurant using a light, brightly illuminated interior, said Mai Van Nam, the restaurant owner. They have chosen another non-traditional approach for seating their guests – and they have space for over 80 covers. “The atypical arrangement of tables imitates the form of the cloud positioned on the ceiling and resembles one large banquet. But we still wanted everyone to have enough privacy,” Řehák adds.

While the ground floor sees the busy operations of a classic bistro, visitors to the first floor can enjoy peace and quiet with a view into the open kitchen. This space, too, is dominated by its lighting – a swathe of lights assembled by the restaurant owner himself.