ARCHITECTKIDD CREATES NEW POSSIBILITIES UNDER THE OLD THAI TRADITIONAL HOUSE FOR GAA, A CONTEMPORARY INDIAN RESTAURANT BY A MICHELIN STAR CHEF, GARIMA ARORA
TEXT: PRATARN TEERATADA
PHOTO: LUKE YEUNG EXCEPT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
Photo: Srirath Somsawat
The name Garima Arora is known to many as the Michelin-starred chef who combines traditional Indian cooking with Thai ingredients, creating her own contemporary Indian cuisine at Gaa. The restaurant’s new venue on Soi Sukhumvit 53 Street is a 60-year-old house relocated from Ayutthaya, resigned and refurbished by Architectkidd under the direction of Luke Yeung.
Photo: Srirath Somsawat
When reimagining the traditional Thai house into the modern fine dining space, one of Architectkidd’s focuses was to showcase the story behind the house itself. Originally situated in Ayutthaya, the house was built from incredible ancient carpentry techniques with details of wood joinery that allow different segments to be dismantled, transported and meticulously reassembled. The design handles the materials such as local hard wood using specific construction techniques, causing the house to remain in its prestigious condition when put together.
One of the design team’s intentions for the project is introducing Gaa’s identity into the house’s original exquisite structure. By controlling the overall palette in a taupe tone, from the interior decoration, utensils to the entirety of the furniture, the design generates idiosyncratic aesthetics that are either traditionally Thai or extremely Indian. The gable is adorned with a series of wires fastened along the roof’s volume, similar to an art installation with an obvious inspiration from the holy thread, symbolizing the spiritual connection while creating an atmosphere where guests feel like the space is giving them blessings.
For Gaa, food extends beyond what is presented on the dish, encompassing the inventive process and new approaches to ingredients. The same story goes with Gaa’s new space where the connection between traditional values and new methods is expanded into the creation of “new possibilities within a traditional space”, bringing people together with a perfect fusion of spatial and palatable experiences.
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