AN OLD TWO-STORY OLD OFFICE SPACE WITHIN A FACTORY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS WAS RENOVATED BY PHTAA WITH THE HIGHLIGHT USAGE OF ALUMINUM FOR ITS DESIGN AND DECORATION TO BE A CLIENT RECEPTION AREA AND THE COMPELLING CAFE
TEXT: PRATCHAYAPOL LERTWICHA
PHOTO: KUKKONG THIRATHOMRONGKIAT
(For Thai, press here)
It’s no surprise that the practice of ‘re-appropriation’ finds frequent articulation by PHTAA. This approach reflects not merely a penchant but a pronounced capability within their body of work for creatively reconfiguring materials and recontextualizing them in ways that defy their original purposes, thereby yielding invigorating new design compositions and transformative power to recalibrate our perceptions of space, infusing the familiar with the unfamiliar. Their notable works include projects such as ‘found,’ where they adeptly layered column capitals, the ingenious adaptation of arch structures in ‘AUBE,’ or the use of wooden cornices and baseboards in the making of chairs. PHTAA is now poised to challenge the conventional roles of aluminum in their latest design endeavor.
The Fameline Café is an inventive transformation of a two-story old office space within a factory that specializes in the production of aluminum for construction purposes, into a café and client reception area. Orchestrated by PHTAA, this redesign centers around the imaginative reuse of aluminum products from the factory, showcased as a central element of the aesthetic. Approaching the café, visitors are immediately greeted by three striking silver cubic sculptures positioned prominently at the entrance. These sculptures not only echo the silver tones of the metal sheet panels cladding the structure behind them but also command attention with their unique design of alternating thick and thin horizontal bands encircling each form. The cubes feature openings large enough to allow passersby to meander through. Inside the café, comfortable seating arrangements await, offering visitors a chance to unwind with a coffee while enjoying the serene views of surrounding trees.
The lines that envelop the structure are crafted from aluminum louvers; components typically enlisted as sunshades for buildings. Standard architectural practice often employs a singular type of aluminum profile, uniformly arrayed across a facade, creating a predictable, orderly cadence of material. With this project, the architect has reinvented a new rhythm by selecting various aluminum profiles to mount on a steel frame, arranging them in an alternating pattern that results in an unpredictable zigzagging frame. Nonetheless, when viewed as a whole, the arrangement of the lines reveals a dense bundling at the top, which gradually transitions to more spaced intervals toward the bottom, resembling a musical composition that starts briskly before easing into a measured, serene conclusion.
Inside the café, the design showcases the lustrous sheen of aluminum sheets that clad the walls and ceilings, reflecting light and the external atmosphere to create an illusion of a more expansive space. The aluminum panels on the walls are specially designed in their natural color to highlight the inherent, raw beauty of the material. Aluminum extends beyond the walls and ceilings; it is also integrated into the furniture, with elements found in counters, chairs, and tables, bringing the material into non-traditional settings beyond conventional applications such as walls, ceilings, or facades. Nevertheless, in areas where structural integrity is crucial, such as the coffee serving counter, aluminum is avoided due to its inability to support heavy weights.
The space is not entirely sheathed in aluminum, which might otherwise feel overwhelming. PHTAA has adeptly incorporated natural materials into the design, softening and bringing harmony to the ambiance. In the foyer that bridges the first and second floors, ropes adorned with aluminum composite panels and wooden pieces serve as screens, subtly defining the coffee counter from the seating areas. In areas intended for visual continuity, the architect has lessened the concentration of wood and aluminum on these ropes. These interspersed wooden elements introduce a warm, organic touch to the space, offering a pleasing counterpoint to the cold industrial appearance of the silver aluminum sheets. The inclusion of wooden furniture and washed sand floors further tempers the café’s modern ambiance, rendering it gently welcoming.
In this undertaking, PHTAA has not forced aluminum into unexpected geometries or forms that defy anticipations. Rather, their calculated reconfiguration of materials in a fresh rhythmic arrangement, alongside contrasting material partners, breathes new and compelling life into the otherwise commonplace construction material.
