Welcome Home to Habitatto
Local studio googoods took cues from the idea of a ‘home bar’ in creating new Taichung restaurant Habitatto, which blends the old with the new and brims with the familiarity of home
‘Maybe you're losing your way and it's time to take a break.’ That’s the phrase that guided the creators of new Taichung bar and restaurant Habitatto, helping shape the aesthetic, menu and energy. Set within a three-storey traditional townhouse, Habitatto is tucked away in the city’s West District among other old houses and apartments that differ from the surrounding modern buildings.
Behind a discreet concrete grey facade with accents of foliage, Habitatto reflects the novel concept of a ‘home bar’ and embodies the desire to rest and recover, just like the warm homesteads of yesteryear. Designed by local agency googoods, the space was brought to life by design director Chihong Chuang. Employing the distinct visual language that has led him to exhibit at Milan’s Salone del Mobile and win numerous awards, including a Red Dot Design Award in Germany and a Good Design Award in Japan, Chuang sought to reinvigorate the original features of the townhouse while paying homage to the owner’s love for Japan. The bar’s name is written and pronounced in Japanese, while elements of the menu — from the cocktails to the food — are a nod to both Japanese and Taiwanese culinary traditions.
‘The visuals and design are defined by a natural aesthetic, from the raw torn paper of the menu to the casual graffiti on the paper napkins,’ explains Chuang. ‘The walls exude traces of time. The lamps and furnishings are crafted from the same materials that were used for furniture in the old days. We hope that anyone who steps into Habitatto feels at ease and finds comfort in the traces of time gone by.’
A welcoming old-world charm permeates each corner of Habitatto, where guests are treated to a considered menu of food and alcohol-free drinks infused with a homemade feel. The owner’s love for wine blending is captured in a separate menu that features inventive fusions of tea and wine.
From behind the contemporary bar, bartenders warmly welcome visitors as friends as they settle onto stools and at tables that reflect elements of contemporary Japanese and Taiwanese design. Imperfect traces of the house’s former life are left visible, while Chuang has tucked cosy seating corners across all three floors as ‘surprises waiting to be discovered, encouraging visitors to explore this space again and again’. An impeccable blend of old and new, Habitatto brims with the familiarity of home.
Text / Rossella E Frigerio
Images / Courtesy of googoods
