CHIANGMAI LIFE ARCHITECTS RENOVATED THE RAMSHACKLE APARTMENT IN KHLONG TOEI INTO A HOTEL THAT EMBRACES PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT GENDERS AND IDENTITIES AND SPRINKLES WITH A VIBRANT SPIRIT AKIN TO ITS GUESTS

TEXT: PRATCHAYAPOL LERTWICHA
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN EXCEPT AS NOTED

(For Thai, press here)

The younger generation has always embraced  diversity, equality, and inclusivity, viewing all humans as equal, regardless of their ethnicity, identity, or sexual orientation.

The Fig Lobby is a boutique hotel located in the Khlong Toei district of Bangkok, just by the railroad track of the Paknam’s railway line. The hotel places not just its concept but its identity around diversity, opening its door to people of differing identities and genders to stay and immerse themselves in its artistic atmosphere. Its inclusive functional program encompasses not just the  all-gender restrooms and services that welcome all humans alike; the hotel’s design showcases a vibrant and distinctive spirit. It celebrates, embodies, and conveys the beautiful diversity and individuality of all humans.

Chiangmai Life Architects is the  design team behind the wondrous transformation of a ramshackle apartment building, bringing it back to life after years of being in a state of disrepair. The transformative revamp births a hotel with a striking and bold design, featuring decorative elements such as bizarre-looking columns and walls adorned with peculiar patterns. The vitality and energy the design exudes perfectly complements its location, which is strategically situated between the bustling Sukhumvit neighborhood, popular among tourists, and the Khlong Toei area, known for its high density of urban communities and the vibrant bustle of Bangkok’s people. Just a short distance away lies Rama IV Road, notorious for its perpetual traffic congestion.

Markus Roselieb, a designer from Chiang Mai Life Architects, mentioned that he found inspiration in the unique style of Austrian visual artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Hundertwasser is known for his bold use of color and his rejection of straight lines. Roselieb also drew inspiration from the  powerful and garish interpretation of nature in the architecture of the iconic Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. Both artists  possessed a remarkable ability to perceive and interpret aesthetic values in ways that went beyond traditional, boxy structures.

The building’s interior and exterior feature rows of columns painted in distinctly different colors, which is a design choice reminiscent of Hundertwasser’s famous work, Hundertwasserhaus. Roselieb explained that he creates various types of pillars to symbolize the value of diversity that the hotel  supports. Given the diverse preferences and identities of individuals in the world, it is only natural that pillars can also vary in their appearances.

Roselieb added an additional layer of exterior walls to the rooms to minimize the amount of sunlight entering the interiors. The walls are adorned with vibrant colors and whimsical patterns, perfectly capturing the essence of Hundertwasser’s design while reflecting the liveliness of the neighborhood. Unusual-shaped openings appear on the walls. Just like the columns on the ground floor, none of these openings are identical. The corners of the building are adorned with handmade tiles, which serve to soften the sharp edges. This design choice reflects the intention of the designer to break away from the monotonous look of box-shaped structures that dominate the urban spaces of Bangkok.

The interior is just as vibrant with colors as the exterior. The lobby features a beautifully patterned terrazzo floor made from recycled glass bottles, which adds a vibrant shine and a variety of colors to the space. The walls and ceilings are painted with patterns that evoke Gaudí‘s  architecture, known for the spectacular use of colorful tiles and ornamentation. Every room in the project is designed to be flamboyant in the best way possible, incorporating vivid colors and curved lines. These two elements are consistently present throughout the entire functional program of the hotel, including the walkways. Despite having a common rectangle-shaped floor plan, the decoration details employed with the rooms and walkways effectively and interestingly eliminate sharp corners and lines from people’s perception.

Roselieb decided to preserve the original terrazzo floor on the upper floor instead  of demolishing and rebuilding it. This choice not only saved money but also prevented unnecessary resource waste. The corridor is devoid of an air conditioner but instead houses openings on both ends to facilitate natural airflow, consequently contributing to the hotel’s reduced energy costs.

In addition to the  details of architectural and interior design, the hotel’s exuberant decoration is complemented by works by Thai artists and designers, from the wallpapers by Pomme Chan, to paintings and furniture created by Tuapennot. With its existence, the hotel serves as a platform for Thai creators to showcase their talents and express their creative abilities and identities.

 Looking at  Chiangmai Life Architects’ previous projects, The Fig Lobby stands out from other works in the studio’s portfolio. While Chiang Mai Life Architects typically favors the use of natural materials such as bamboo and earth, for this particular project, they opted for a concrete structure with painted and tile-clad surfaces, which deviates from their usual preference for natural materials.

While The Fig Lobby may have different materials and a physical appearance compared to the studio’s past works, a closer examination reveals that the hotel’s design still shares certain similarities with Chiangmai Life Architects’ prior endeavors. The project utilizes readily available and affordable materials, carefully chosen to create a visually appealing and striking building. For instance, the incorporation of colors and tiles in their current work is reminiscent of their earlier projects, where  bamboo and locally sourced clay were used. The design of the building also captures a sense of freedom that structures constructed using natural materials also tend to possess. Most importantly, the notable similarity can be found in the way the studio takes into account the work’s surrounding context, treating it as one of the crucial aspects instead of opting for an easier way out by imposing ideas onto the site.

Chiangmai Life Architects’ choice  to express the diversity and inclusivity of The Fig Lobby through an incredibly unique design sends out a significant message that in a world full of diversity and possibilities, there is always a space for everyone.

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