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Another Smith: Preserving Family Traditions through Contemporary Bamboo Architecture

Another Smith: Preserving Family Traditions through Contemporary Bamboo Architecture

/ Tak, Thailand /

/ Story: Natthawat Klaysuban / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Jinnawat Borihankijanan /

Another Smith is a restaurant buzzing with energy and a vibrant atmosphere perched on the edge of the Moei river in Mae Sot, a district in Tak Province. It’s an add-on to an existing family-owned eatery famous for its pleasant and flavorful Thai and Chinese meals. Its signature dishes include fish maw soup made of the perfectly cooked air bladder of bony fish.

Soft concave curves in the roofline symbolic of Chinese architecture bring the architect’s idea to life. The building façade of bamboo and translucent corrugated sheets provides more privacy, safety and less noise. Up front, a welcoming hall and waiting area gives access to restaurant spaces located in the left and right wings.

The old eatery has served as a popular meeting place among the locals as well as foreign visitors for the past 62 years. Now the young generation who inherit the business from their forefathers think it’s time a new destination restaurant and services were created to support local community needs and tourist activities in the area. Located a stone’s throw away from the old family restaurant, Another Smith boasts the beauty of modern Chinese architecture that merges into the unique character and identity of Thailand’s Western Region.

The restaurant interior showcases an intriguing combination of bamboo poles, concrete construction and ceramic tiles, creating a balanced relationship between different elements that make the building not only strong but also beautiful.

The restaurant’s name is a portmanteau coined from a combination of the English word another and the Thai word Smithikorn, which is the business owner’s family name. Put the two words together, and you get Another Smith, for short. The new restaurant now serves as an iconic landmark during the time when the Smithikorn family enters a new era and Mae Sot town becomes one of Thailand’s top destinations for good reason.

The café zone situated up front doubles as a welcoming hall and waiting area. There’s a coffee station bedecked with bamboo poles and ceramic tiles in shades of blue that are inspired by the Blue Cave, a popular tourist destination in Tak Province. Nearby, exterior folding doors provide an example of historic and modern architecture coming together as one.

In a way that’s appropriate to the present circumstances, related business activities and functions are added to details of the overall plan. In addition to the restaurant, the new building also has plenty of space for a café and a jewelry store that’s another strength of the family business.

The bar serving alcoholic beverages and refreshments is adjacent to the café zone and welcoming hall. It starts in the evening and stays open late. There’s a central courtyard with an open-air dining area nearby.

The new restaurant design is inspired by indigenous architecture that has developed in China over millennia. Especially worthy of note is the open-roofed entrance hall or central court that recounts family history and their journeys through time. The project itself is a collab between TasteSpace who are tasked with planning the interior and implementing branding concepts, and Thor.Kaichon who undertake the architectural design process.

Interior design boasts a colorful array of furniture. In this particular case, the colors red and white are used in the right proportion to fit in with bamboo structural members in shades of brownish yellow.

The planning phase of project management starts out with interior design and works its way from the inside to the outside. This ensures that the restaurant has optimal work environments and all functions are in the right places, a system whereby many parts work together to achieve the common goal.

Semi-outdoor rooms roofed over with bamboo panels make up a majority of restaurant spaces. They look out over a lush garden oasis with large healthy trees that contrast with the brownish yellow of bamboo building materials.

What makes it stand out from the crowd is the beautiful bamboo building with an atrium hemmed in by rooms and galleries reminiscent of Chinese homes in times gone by. Together they create a bright, breezy and more inviting atmosphere. Some observers liken it to a dried swim bladder of large fish that’s hard on the outside and airy on the inside.

By design, Another Smith is capable of opening for business all day. It’s divided into three zones, namely:

  • The Café, which is ready to serve customers from morning until midday. There’s a stylish coffee station located at the front that doubles as a welcoming hall and waiting area giving access to the restaurant nearby.
  • The Restaurant, which is open for lunches, dinners and nights of dining until the early hours of the morning. There’s an enclosed dining room in the right wing of the building. The left wing holds a dining hall with a garden view for those preferring to dine in the open air. There are rooms for private dinners and social occasions situated next door.
  • The Bar, which starts in the evening and stays open late. It sits tucked away in an area farther from the café and welcoming entrance located at the front. The room looks out over the central courtyard that’s aglow under the lights at nightfall, turning it into a fun place to hang out with friends.
An indoor dining room opens onto the central courtyard. It’s well-lit and well-ventilated by design. Equipped with bi-fold doors, the room can be divided into parts for private meetings and dinners when needed.

That’s not all. There’s also a special zone holding a jewelry store near the front entrance. It’s a business specialty in which the Smithikorn family has expert skill and knowledge.

Every square inch counts. Here, a vacant retail space provides room for a jewelry store that’s part of the family business. It’s situated at the front entrance by the welcoming hall and waiting area.

Bamboo is the material of choice for good reason. It’s desired as a building material and chic interior decorative items. There’s more. The giant woody grass that grows mainly in the Tropics has long been a building material that’s unique to the architecture of Thailand and China.

A façade of bamboo and translucent corrugated sheets protects an open-air dining area from the elements. It makes the restaurant space cooler without AC and keeps the sun and rain off the semi-outdoor room.

It’s also the building supply in which Thor.Kaichon has technical expertise. In this specific instance, only bamboo poles that have been properly treated are used. The appropriate treatment method ensures their longevity and strength in construction and other applications. Plus, they provide environmentally friendly options rooted in cultural heritage, even better when they are used in conjunction with concrete and reinforced by steel structural members and sheet metal. Together they go to work making the building strong and sure to withstand the years.

The restaurant interior is even more exciting, adorned with an intriguing combination of random tile patterns in shades of blue. The colors are inspired by the Blue Cave, a popular tourist destination in Tak Province. The designers experiment with new methods for dyeing bamboo to ensure it matches the restaurant’s ideas, themes and concepts. Where appropriate, blue and red are used in the right proportion that proves a perfect complement to bamboo structural members and paneling in yellow hues, resulting in a pleasant dining room atmosphere.

In the fewest possible words, Another Smith represents a step in the right direction for a business practice that focuses on adaptations to fit in with modern times. It’s a quality that has run in the family from the very beginning. Another Smith is the story of the diaspora of people from China who have come to call this part of Thailand home. Their business skill has sharpened over time.

Meanwhile, it gave rise to the assimilation of Chinese to Thai society in recent times. As the architects intended, it’s a proven way to create a good first impression and ensure a positive customer experience through good food and a beautiful architectural style. The bottom line: Mae Sot is full of pleasant surprises waiting to be discovered.


Project Concept & Branding: TasteSpace (https://www.facebook.com/tastespace.co)
Interior Designer: TasteSpace (https://www.facebook.com/tastespace.co)
Architects: Thor.Kaichon (https://www.facebook.com/thorkaichon)


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dusitD2 Samyan: A Midtown Hotel Livens up Old Town Neighborhood with Exciting New Design

dusitD2 Samyan: A Midtown Hotel Livens up Old Town Neighborhood with Exciting New Design

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Lily J. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nantiya June, Kranchanok Boonbamrung /

No place personifies the timeless beauty of Bangkok’s old town like dusitD2 Samyan, a destination hotel where stylishly fashionable design seamlessly mixes with urban lifestyles.

A vista of Bangkok’s landscape as seen from inside a DusitD2 hotel room.

As the name suggests, dusitD2 Samyan is a member of the D2 hotel chain. It nestles comfortably on Si Phraya Road, a longtime economic hub renowned for busy movement and modern architecture. Taken as a whole, there’s a feeling of excitement and pleasure that comes with urban conveniences. dusitD2 Samyan no doubt is a beautiful work of contemporary hotel design, one that helps to rejuvenate a city neighborhood without sacrificing the value of Thailand’s arts and culture.

The hotel lobby space decorated in contemporary style tells the story of Bangkok’s Si Phraya Road neighborhood now and then.

First things first, let us show you around high-rise hotel rooms offering a vibrant panorama of Bangkok. The overall effect is impressive, thanks to a perfect blend of convenience and comfort plus the furnishing and decoration that tells the story of the Si Phraya neighborhood now and then.

The area’s reputation as one of Thailand’s jewelry trade centers is manifested in the interior design inspired by beautifully crafted personal ornaments, such as jewels and precious metals. Among other things, decorative throw pillows and headboards are covered in textile fabrics showcasing precious stone patterns in a variety of shapes and colors.

The furnishing and decoration of hotel rooms gets its inspiration from personal ornaments, such as precious stones and metals that have made the Si Phraya Road neighborhood famous as one of Thailand’s jewelry trade centers.
Hotel room décor brings about a good impression of the Si Phraya Road neighborhood renowned for its reputation as one of Thailand’s jewelry trade centers.
A throw pillow showcasing an image of precious stone patterns tells the story of Si Phraya as one of Thailand’s jewelry trade centers.

dusitD2 Samyan has two areas for common use that non-guests can access. The 16th floor contains the Bedidas – Pool Bar, where the tasty, distinctive Mexican cuisine is served. Be spoilt for choice when it comes to drinks and refreshments. And if you swing by in the late afternoon, go to Mimi’s Bar on the 25th floor. It’s a good place to watch the sun set behind cloudy skies or simply take in the panoramic view. While up there, take your time to explore amazing interior design, relax and unwind in the comforting glow of sunlight as the night falls.

The 16th floor holds the Bedidas – Pool Bar with a view of downtown Bangkok.
A vibrant space with vivid colors, Mimi’s Bar on the 25th floor affords nearly 360-degree views of the cityscape.
Seen from Mimi’s Bar on the 25th floor, Bangkok’s urban skyline is aglow as the night falls.

It comes as no surprise that dusitD2 Samyan has become a popular destination on Si Phraya Road for both locals and foreign visitors. Living among the hustle and bustle of the city has its advantages. Located in the city center, DusitD2 Samyan is very pleasant and easy to get to, not to mention the hotel’s interior design that evokes admiration. Precisely, it’s these qualities of urban places that earn Bangkok a reputation as one of the world’s most admired cities.


Architects: Design Identity Unit


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Tanatap Wall Garden: A Restaurant-cum-Café and Bar among Lush Trees and Immaculate White Walls

Tanatap Wall Garden: A Restaurant-cum-Café and Bar among Lush Trees and Immaculate White Walls

/ Central Java, Indonesia /

/ Story: Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Mario Wibowo /

Central Java, Indonesia – Neat and clean walls rise above a reflecting pool and lush lawns brightened up by shimmering lights. They are made attractive by warm-toned whites and smooth curved lines twirling lightly around like poetry in motion. Shaped into alternate ridges and grooves, the concrete surfaces in zingy warm hues slant up to the skyline reminiscent of a graceful dance. It’s an amazing innovation thoughtfully devised to sync with rhythms in the urban landscape that gives it aesthetic appeal.

A welcoming reception area lies adjacent to the reflecting pool designed to blend with the rounded contour at the very top of a white wall separating the restaurant’s interior from the exterior.

The clean, well-lighted trio of restaurant, café and bar is located in Central Java, an Indonesian province that’s home to the famous Borobudur Temple, one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. Named “Tanatap Wall Garden”, it’s a delightful business space in a class of itself, one that advocates for form and function being joined in a way that requires less energy to operate.

The restaurant-cum-café and bar, together with its land that forms a verdant oasis, affords 2,500 square meters of commercial space nestled among beautiful cityscapes. It’s an all-encompassing design that combines commercial real estate with elements of nature in close physical association to the advantage of both.

A charcoal sketch shows the positioning of functional spaces in relation to existing big trees, a relationship to the advantage of both. / Courtesy of RAD+ar
A side elevation view in perspective illustrates the positioning of restaurant, café and bar spaces under lush tree cover. / Courtesy of RAD+ar

The concept delineated above is the brainchild of a high performing team at RAD+ar, an architectural practice based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The team of architects was tasked with transforming what used to be a parking garage into a calm, secluded garden in which to wine and dine; meanwhile preserving the existing natural environment and the property’s significance as part of a central business district.

The result is a piece of architecture showcasing perfectly clean, white walls rising among very big lush trees, a beautiful sight unlike anything out there. Viewed from above, the floor plan consists of three straight lines on the ground moving centrifugally from the center. Along these lines, concrete walls rise to different heights forming gently curved lines at the very top as they traverse among stands of homogeneous trees.

Viewed from above, the restaurant-cum-café and bar merges into beautiful and cool landscapes so that they become an indivisible whole.

Apart from bringing shade and regulating temperatures, the trees growing wild in every direction give the business premises charm, good looks that please the senses and the mind.

It’s design that comes from understanding the warm, humid climate prevailing in Central Java, and the company’s principles advocating for simple and sustainable lifestyles. Together they are the key attributes that make Tanatap Wall Garden one of the most agreeable places to be.

For a good first impression, the welcoming entryway is adorned with green spaces that create positive moments in people’s lives. It’s connected to a pathway system leading to cool and restful places amid the beautiful backyard landscape.

Old trees and new walls become inextricable parts of the design advocating for sustainability.

On the way, an 800-square-meter reflecting pool provides a focal point in the scenery, bringing joy, pleasure and contentment in nature’s peaceful embrace. Interestingly enough, tiers of seats similar to a sports arena are added to the mix in a way that’s proper in the circumstances.

A reflecting pool under tree cover provides a focal point in the landscape. It works in tandem with other passive design strategies creating thermal comfort for both indoors and outdoors.
A lounge area offers wide seating space and flexibility seamlessly integrated into the building’s architectural styles.

In addition to being a rendezvous for good food and drinks, Tanatap Wall Garden offers an enormous richness of nature-inspired outdoor rooms for those who love spending time indulging in music and live stage performances.

Keeping to its original concept, an amphitheater is put in for customers who appreciate dramatic works as a genre of literature and expression of ideas encouraging participation in the discourses of society. All of these features are neatly integrated in one cohesive design aesthetic.

Tiers of seats similar to a sports area lie under a pedestrian bridge connecting different parts of the building. By design, it’s a work of art that keeps creative energy flowing.

In short, it’s a metamorphosis of purpose that results in neat and clean white walls transforming into a stunning commercial space, in this particular case, a trio of restaurant, café and bar set amidst a verdant oasis.

From inside looking out, a part of the white wall with ridges and grooves in it is visible through the doorway at the furthest end.
The restaurant has a lovely garden under tree cover for those who prefer to wine and dine alfresco.

Drop by Tanatap Wall Garden for a drink or two next time you sojourn in Central Java. It’s an opportunity to experience the beauty of architecture and nature coming together in one indivisible design.


Architect: RAD+ar

Principal Architect: Antonius Richard

Sculpture Artist: Wisnu Ajitama


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Stalk Jakarta, the Tree-Hugger Bar: A Restaurant and Bar That Cares about the Environment

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Stalk Jakarta, the Tree-Hugger Bar: A Restaurant and Bar That Cares about the Environment

Stalk Jakarta, the Tree-Hugger Bar: A Restaurant and Bar That Cares about the Environment

/ Jakarta, Indonesia /

/ Story: Kanamon Najaroen / English version: Bob Pitakowng /

/ Photographs: Mario Wibowo /

As its name suggests, Stalk Jakarta, affectionately known as the Tree-Hugger Bar, has environment protection as its front-and-center concerns. It’s a design that integrates the relationships between all things as the primary framework before additional tasks can be taken. The result is an enchanting restaurant and bar amid an oasis of lush greenery in a busy area of the city.

The building is roofed over with a tensile fabric cover supported by membrane structures resembling the coming together of five huge bell marquees. There are openings at the apexes to let tall trees grow through reaching up some 30 meters into the sky.

Stitched together so that they become a whole, the five bell tents work in tandem to protect the place of business underneath from severe weather. At the same time, tree crowns and overhanging branches cast shadows on the fabric cover, creating visual interest with contrast in design.

From a distance, a combination of huge bell marquees rises among the treetops creating a visual blend with the natural surroundings and buildings in the background.

The completely tented restaurant space may seem incompatible with other buildings in the neighborhood. But from the parametric design perspective, it’s a sustainable architectural approach that makes sense in every possible way.

In essence, it’s about trying to minimize any negative impact on the environment. And in this particular case, saving all the existing trees on the premises is of the utmost importance. It’s a noble thing to do to leave the trees where they have always been and let them thrive.

From the look of things, it’s thoughful and unique design that puts Stalk Jakarta, the Tree-Hugger Bar, in a class of its own. It’s the product of step-by-step planning that results in a situation, in which each side benefits in some way.

The restaurateurs get the perfect space they need to do business, while the trees get a new lease on life. On the whole, completely tented design provides a commercial space that’s eye-catching, while shady tree canopy ideas make customers feel calm and peaceful away from noise and distractions outside.

Stitched togethered so that they become a whole, bell-shaped tensile fabric tents have openings at the apex to let trees grow through the roof keeping the restaurant space in shade.

In the big picture, it reflects the design team’s vision of creating a piece of architecture that’s inextricably linked with the environment and the circumstances that form the setting of a place. Especially for Stalk Jakarta, it’s the team’s intention to try out new design possibilities to ensure the viability of the project.

They also plan to share their experience with business property developers with a way to reduce negative effects on the environment and, at the same time, maintain the existing state of affairs and physical features of the land. In this way, property value in the central business area will not be negatively impacted.

A drawing of the first-floor layout shows the welcome area leading to clearly defined VIP rooms and semi-outdoor dining rooms embraced by lush greenery. / Courtesy of RAD+ar
The open concept second floor holds a restaurant and bar in nature’s peaceful embrace. / Courtesy of RAD+ar

 

A side elevation drawing shows spatial relationships between shade trees, tensile membrane structures, and restaurant spaces. / Courtesy of RAD+ar

Stalk Jakarta, the Tree-Hugger Bar, consists of two floors. The first floor holds a number of drinking and dining rooms for private parties, aka VIP rooms. To get conversation going upon arrival, there’s a spacious welcome area decorated with plants with an inverted bell-shaped canvas roof serving as the focal point in the room.

From here, the dining hall on the second floor can be accessed via a ramp that winds around the upside-down bell curve at the center.

A ramp winding around the inverted bell-shaped fabric roof cover provides access to the upstairs dining hall.

The second floor contains a restaurant and bar, 750 square meters in extent. It’s roofed over with a combination of huge tensile fabric tents with openings at the apexes to allow shady trees to literally go through the roof reaching up for the sky above.

The thick fabric cover and the canopy of the tall trees protect the restaurant interior from heat during the daytime. In a way that arouses interest, overhanging brances cast shadows of the fabric cover creating a light and shadow play that changes in length and direction over the course of a day.

After sunset, beautiful chandeliers turn the dining hall into a well-lighted place with easy listening music provided by a live band.

An intriguing combination of color and texture makes the VIP room feel warm and welcoming.

Return to the first floor, and you find several VIP rooms clearly defined and separated from one another for privacy. Metal wall panels hammered to look like water surfaces and sandy soil add visual interest to the rooms.

At a glance, it’s a sight that evokes pleasant memories of a journey deep into the forest where the sun shines dimly and slightly, thanks to strategically placed lights in the interior.

An intriguing combination of color and texture makes the VIP room feel warm and welcoming.

All things considered, the high tension membrane roof cover comes in handy for the team of architects at RAD+ar to create an outstanding piece of parametric architecture. It looks the epitome of elegant design and an interesting amalgam of the built environment and the lush green surroundings.

What makes it the perfect rendezvous is the open concept layout that provides good natural ventilation, keeping the interior cool and calm with the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.

Without unsightly solid walls, the restaurant and bar space feels bright and breezy, thanks in part to the tensile membrane structure that performs two functions simultaneously, as fabric roof covering and semi-outdoor enclosure.

In the fewest possible words, it’s the best example of design that’s good for people living in the big city, and good for the environment, too.


Architect: RAD+ar (Research Artistic Design + architecture) (radarchitecture.net)

Lead Architects: Antonius Richard Rusli


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