NARA THAI CUISINE, CENTRAL VILLAGE MALL, SAMUTPRAKARN, THAILAND
Nara Thai Kitchen (Restaurant), Central Village Mall, Samutprakarn, 2020
Nara Thai Cuisine is a famous Thai restaurant, renowned for its Boat Noodles and authentic Thai dishes. Nara’s new branch is located in Thailand’s first international luxury outlet shopping village, Central Village, which is next to Suvarnabhumi International Airport near Bangkok. Since VIRTUARCH already successfully managed the Nara Thai Cuisine Chiang Mai project and other projects for Nara Thai Cuisine, the Swiss architecture and project management company was invited again, this time for the engineering and the project management for Nara’s new branch at Central Village. The aim was to present Nara Thai Cuisine’s outstanding quality and blend it with the Outlets’ elegance, as well as to embed a touch of exquisite Thai craftsmanship into the design.
Transparent and Modern Atmosphere
The huge French windows were set on 3 sides of the restaurant. Through the huge panoramic windows, the interior and exterior of the restaurant present a simple and transparent modern sense. From outside, people take a glimpse of the modern interior space; from inside, the guests enjoy the view of the customers of the Outlet Center.
Combined with the gray painted aluminum plates and the original structure of the building, the patterns originating from “Fa Prakon”, the wood cladding used in Thai traditional house, form an inviting entrance area to attract people passing by.
The gray-blue-toned engineered wood with narrow stripes connects the panoramic window and the Thai roof elegantly, carrying out the warm and bright atmosphere inside the restaurant.
Interior Space with Chic Thai Style
As a long-term partner, VIRTUARCH fully understood Nara Thai Cuisine’s demand for a creative and stunning atmosphere in the restaurant, and therefore conducted an in-depth study of traditional Thai crafts to get inspirations. VIRTUARCH invited traditional Thai craftsmen, who are the third generation in the family of rattan weaver, to weave two large rattan lamps, three and five meters in diameter, as decoration, which took around 3 months to complete by hands.
Presentation Regarding Factory Relocation
Rattan is a natural material that can be found in the forests of Thailand, especially in the Southern part. It is an inexpensive and simple material, but on the other hand, local artisans are able to turn this material with highly skilled weaving techniques into furniture and accessories with beautiful and sophisticated design. So did the artisans sourced by VIRTUARCH to masterfully craft the lamps for the restaurant.
Thai handicrafts take up the traditions, the wisdom, the belief, and the history of the country. Thus, the carefully woven domes not only add a chic style to the overall atmosphere of the restaurant, but also represent the cultural heritage of Thailand.
Space on the ceiling are left for the two rattan lamps, giving it an artistic touch, also creating an atmosphere in which the guests of the restaurant feel comfortable.
The Quality is in the Details
Art and crafts from Thailand are famous all over the world for their distinctive beauty. The experts of VIRTUARCH applied craft skills and natural materials to the design, using rattan to introduce practical and stylish elements with a sense of Thai heritage. To echo the rattan lamps, a large number of woven elements are attached to the walls and are integrated in the furniture. Seats and backs are tailored with ash wood and rattan, exclusively for this project. As a result, all elements merge into a total work of art.
The Thai Experience
Unlike the rest of Nara Thai Cuisine’s restaurants that are mostly in darker colours, the bright natural wood theme color creates a quiet atmosphere, contrasting with the bustling surroundings. A mixture of lime and concrete brings a very light color and feeling of floor surface, and the wood-colored walls and furniture form a harmonious symbiosis with a feel-good factor. The panoramic windows bring natural lights to every corner of the room. For the Owners, it is important that customers not only enjoy delicious Thai food in the restaurant, but also experience Thai culture in a comfortable environment.
The Nara Thai Cuisine Central Village project not only realizes a Thai-inspired interior design to show the craftsmanship of the country, but also a high quality in detail design and in the execution of the whole project.
Restaurant Floor Plan
PROJECT NAME: NARA THAI CUISINE, CENTRAL VILLAGE MALL, SAMUTPRAKARN, THAILAND
CLIENT: NARA THAI CUISINE
LOCATION: SAMUTPRAKARN (BANGKOK METROPOLITAN AREA), THAILAND
INDUSTRY SECTOR: F&B
PROJECT SIZE: 200 Sqm
PROJECT DATE: 2019-2020
SERVICES: ENGINEERING DESIGN, PROJECT MANAGEMENT
