Page 28 - Designing Ways 281

COMMERCIAL
INTERIOR

Harudot Chonburi

Chonburi, Thailand

arudot is a stand-alone café in
Chonburi, a famous beachside
Htown in Thailand. This café is
a result of a collaboration between the
Nana Coffee Roasters brand owner and
the landlord, who has a particular interest
in plants with unique forms.
The name “Haru” translates to
“Spring” in Japanese, referring to a “new
beginning” and “growth” while “Dot”
symbolises a “starting point”. The two
main requirements for this café are
firstly to design a "destination" with an
interesting experience that is able to
attract visitors, and secondly, to include
the landlord's identity in the design in
order to signify this unique collaboration.
The architect chose to focus on the
concept of new beginnings and growth
by including trees in the heart of the
design. A bottle tree (baobab) has been
placed in an inner court, where the gable
form of the architecture is pulled apart
to allow for its growth towards the sky,
thus making it appear as if the seed of the
baobab was been planted long before and
has grown out through the architecture as
time passes.
The cafe brand’s identity is strongly
inspired by Japanese culture, hence
the architect interprets this as humble
simplicity but with attention to detail.

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