Category: UPDATE

HORIZON : CAFE & RESTAURANT

April 4, 2023
by admin

ALSO DESIGN STUDIO TURNS THE OLD HOUSE INTO A CAFE BY INCORPORATING THE SITE’S EXISTING ELEMENTS SUCH AS OLD TREES, PARKING GARAGES, OR EVEN THE OLD HOUSE ITSELF TO DELIVER A COMFORTABLE AND RELAXING VIBE BY THE KOK RIVER FOR VISITORS

TEXT: MONTHON PAOAROON
PHOTO: PATIWETH YUENTHAM EXCEPT AS NOTED

(For Thai, press here)

Horizon: Cafe & Restaurant is in a fairly remote area east of the Kok River, outside of the province of Chiang Rai. Ratchapol Buajoy, a Chiang Rai native and founder of Chiang Mai-based ALSO design studio, is the architect in charge of the renovation of this old building turned cafe. The project began with no brief, just a straightforward requirement from the owner to open a cafe, and the architect was given complete creative freedom. Ratchapol stated that having such autonomy made the project both easy and difficult. But he went on to work out and incorporate the site’s existing distinct elements and strengths, using them as key ingredients in the design. Such elements include the trees growing inside and around the garage and the old house with a deck that opens to an unobstructed view of the Kok River.

The old house before renovation | Photo courtesy of ALSO design studio

The renovation began with a redesign of the parking area in an attempt to connect the original garage building and the house into a single structure, with the service area added in the back. The garage building was converted into the cafe’s entrance and the main counter, where all the coffee-making takes place. The first thing one notices upon entering is the waiting and order pick-up area, which has arched features intended to bring sculptural elements to the space. The final look differs from the architect’s initial vision for the space, which would have included a skylight and an infinite water well to give the space a sense of serenity. The primary design went through a series of trials and errors with the contractor because the architect personally witnessed the aesthetic effects and angles of light that would interact with the space if the idea were to materialize. The slow-bar counter occupies the new extension, whose glass walls beautifully frame the view of the verdant trees and plants.

The space inside  the old house is the next segment of the spatial program. The architect chose to remove the walls that divided the rooms in order to create an open-plan layout that was outlined by the original roof structure. A section of the interior space adjacent to the neighboring plot of land is built into an indoor courtyard that showcases the raw characteristics of the original columns and the newly grown trees. This courtyard is the architect’s effort to curate a different user experience using natural light effects that differ from the first part of the cafe’s spatial program. The original structure is preserved in this area, with additional structural elements added to the multi-leveled seating.

The renovation of the original deck at the back of the house that opens up to the Kok River includes new windows and doors, which contribute to a better spatial flow. The pool is also preserved but given a new finishing material. The architect also incorporated a ramp to make it easier for elderly people and disabled individuals to access the area than through the building. The ramp creates a line that visually softens the solid-looking mass of this side of the building. Meanwhile, the ramp rails are made of steel coated in a rusty color with a gradient tone that matches the color of the exposed brick walls of the old building, which is showcased as part of the interior decoration. The design of the accessibility order begins at the entrance to the back section and then connects into a full circle at the entrance. The landscape architecture opts for maintaining the neatly growing tree lines while adjusting the mounds to create a better sequence and continuity for the space and spatial experience when one first enters the property.

What is particularly notable about the interior and architectural design of the building is how it takes into account the color tones of the original materials. The design starts with the colors of the exposed concrete columns and brick walls. Then, new colors and materials are added to complement the ones that are already there. The actual work process included numerous color and material tests, such as the creation of over 30 concrete block samples to find the one with the right tone, which ultimately keeps every element of the building beautifully cohesive.

Ratchapol explains how the ALSO design studio’s slogan, “You are happy, so am I,” reflects an approach to design that does not primarily put the architect’s idea at the center of each project but instead focuses more on the sharing of inputs from everyone involved to achieve the most gratifying outcome. Horizon exemplifies such a philosophy. Despite its distant location from Chiang Rai’s city center, Horizon is gaining popularity among a wide range of clients, from teenagers and the elderly who come to chill and hang out to families with children looking for a place where everyone can spend and enjoy their time together.

facebook.com/ALSOdesignstudio

 

PINK, BLACK & BLUE

April 3, 2023
by admin

THE EXHIBITION DELVES INTO THE LIFE OF THE ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER MANIT SRIWANICHPOOM WITH ‘BLACK’ AND ‘BLUE’, TAKES US TO THE JOURNEY OF DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE OF HIS ICONIC CHARACTER, THE ‘PINK MAN’, WHILE DISCUSSES THE PHENOMENON OF ASSOCIATING MEANINGS WITH COLORS THAT THAI SOCIETY HAS WITNESSED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

TEXT: TUNYAPORN HONGTONG
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN

(For Thai, press here)

Manit Sriwanichpoom’s photography series, ‘Pink Man’ is undoubtedly his most renowned work. The series is so successful that whenever the name Manit is mentioned, we always automatically think of Pink Man. Some people even mistake that the Pink Man in the photographs was Manit himself (actually Sompong Tawee, a poet and performance artist, is the person who took the role of Pink Man in the series).

Manit created  Pink Man in 1997 as the character of a chubby Asian man who wears a shocking pink satin suit and travels with an empty shopping trolley embellished in the same color as his outfit. Pink Man is represented the extreme consumerism that was taking over Thai society to the point where one had no care for other aspects of society that did not concern them. Manit then went on to create many more of his Pink Man series, such as ‘Pink Man on Tour’ (1998), where the character was captured in his journey to a variety of different places and incidents, both inside and outside of Thailand, with his expressionless face. Pink Man’s appearance in ‘Horror in Pink’ (2001) shows the character at the October 6th 1976 massacre and Black May, also known as “Bloody May,” two of Thailand’s most tragic and violent political incidents, with a face that looked like he was enjoying an entertaining spectacle.

In most of the series, Pink Man took the spotlight. Pink Man’s presence in ‘Hungry Ghost’ (2003) was not just as the main character, but appeared with the size of towering skyscrapers, the scale that would probably equate his giant ego. Nonetheless, in some series, such as Pink Man in Venice (2003), Manit chose to photograph the character from a distance, resulting in a miniature version of Pink Man. In some of the photos, he stood on the edge of the vast body of water, looking absentmindedly, with no shocking pink trolley by his side. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but wonder about his next journey. Will he undergo any changes? What was his fate going to be after consuming pretty much everything throughout his entire existence?

Pink Man had been on numerous adventures before arriving at the final answers to these questions. In 2018, Manit created ‘The Last Man and the End of His Story’, a series of photograph in which we saw a pink body bag lying on the side of the road in America, with a pink trolley by its side. The series was undoubtedly about Pink Man’s demise. However, when we look at ‘Dropping the Pink Self’ (2018), another work Manit created in that same year, it becomes unclear whether Pink Man’s death refers to the end of his actual life or a metaphor for him forfeiting something. Manit’s ‘Dropping the Pink Self’ (2018) was inspired by Ai Weiwei’s ‘Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn’ (1995). But while Ai dropped a Han Dynasty urn which shattered to convey the time of the demolition and reconstruction of Chinese culture, Pink Man, on the other hand, dropped a figurine of himself to the ground, causing its head to fall off.

Pink, Black, and Blue, Manit’s latest solo exhibition, reintroduces the two iconic works. The exhibition also includes ‘Afterlife So Pink #2’ (2023), an installation of a Pink Man doll on a wooden boat, a universal symbol of the human journey into the afterlife. But, being the Pink Man that he is, sitting with him on the boat is the head of a Buddha sculpture, and it appears that the boat floats inside an inflatable kid’s pool with a bold, kitsch sea animal pattern. In Heavenly Pink (2023), Pink Man makes his way into ancient Thai mural paintings, from the one where he stands amongst angels in heaven—the scene which depicts an event from the Buddha’s life story when Lord Buddha met Angulimala—to the iconic painting by Khrua In Khong (an avant-garde Thai artist in the past whose work has been featured in artworks of some contemporary Thai artists recently). As wild as the imagery that Manit created, Pink Man’s journeys in this series are open to all sorts of viewer interpretations. One might draw the conclusion that Pink Man has set himself free from consumerism, or that these photographs simply portray his unquenchable desires even after his death.

Pink Man’s story is curated as part of ‘Pink,’ one of the colors into which the exhibition is divided. The two remaining colors are ‘Black,’ which includes ‘When I Was Twenty,’ a series of black-and-white photographs Manit took when he was a student, and ‘Blue,’ which includes ‘I Saw A Blue Wing,’ a collection of Manit’s snapshots that tell the stories he experienced while participating in art exhibitions abroad. When it comes to the narrative, the two sections of the exhibition are less intense than ‘Pink,’ yet they allow viewers to learn more about Manit’s identity. His rebellious spirit (Black) was clearly visible in the works he created during his younger years, just like his slightly dark humor in the snapshots he took (Blue), and they can still be found in Manit’s artistic creation even today.

Nonetheless, the important roles that Black and Blue play alongside Pink do not end there. Manit’s decision to use more colors than just pink for this exhibition is most likely motivated by his desire to discuss the meanings associated with ‘colors,’ a phenomenon that Thai society has witnessed over the last several years, from how certain colors are used to express one’s loyalty to the monarchy or political standpoint, or to symbolize what constitutes the nation.

Regardless of the ideologies or intentions behind these meanings and how shallow they seem to be, the public has learned to accept these colors and what they represent. It is evident from the fact that many Red Shirt supporters refuse to wear a yellow shirt, and the same is true for Yellow Shirt supporters, who would never appear in public wearing a red shirt (Chinese New Year may be an exception). For Manit, putting meaning in colors has split Thai society into two polarizing ends, culminating in the country’s stagnated development, not to mention a consumerist economy. His perspective on the subject can be seen in ‘Afterlife So Pink #1,’ an installation in which he placed the Pink Man figure inside a resin block shaped like an ice cube. The piece is then placed atop two ice tanks that one is painted red and another is blue. Pink Man’s supermarket trolley is wired with IV tubes in another installation, ‘Stay Pink’ (2023), implying an attempt to keep consumerist behaviors alive. This is because while a polarized society is beneficial to the ruling class, once the effects reach the people’s consumption, capitalism becomes weaker, and that is when the upper-class and corporate entities begin to experience losses.

In Manit’s Pink Man series, Pink Man is a disgusting-looking man in a shiny, shocking pink suit. In the real world,  Pink Man exists in all kinds of clothes. He could be someone wearing a suit of a different color. To figure out who the Pink Man is, we might have to look deeper, through all the color-coated surfaces.

Pink, Black & Blue: A Solo Photographic Exhibition by Manit Sriwanichpoom is now showing at Hub of Photography (HOP), 3rd floor, MUNx2, Season Square Srinakarin Shopping Mall until April 9th, 2023.

facebook.com/hubofphotographybangkok

SUSPENDED HOUSE

March 27, 2023
by admin

FALA ATELIER COMPLETES A THREE-STORY RESIDENCE THAT LOOKS LIKE A COLLAGE OF GRAPHIC ELEMENTS. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE IS A TRICKY FLOATING COLUMN THAT SERVES NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN BEING AN ELEMENT FOR THE STUDIO TO UNLEASH THEIR CREATIVE INSTINCT

TEXT: PRATCHAYAPOL LERTWICHA
PHOTO CREDIT AS NOTED

(For Thai, press here)

If one was asked to name an architectural studio with some wonderfully fresh and playful designs, Portuguese architectural practice Fala Atelier would most certainly be at the top of the list. The studio’s approach to architectural design utilizes the digital collage method to put various different components, shapes, and colors together, bound by no constraints but just creative instincts and imagination.

Fala Atelier takes their playful ingenuity to a new level with Suspended House, a residential project in Porto, Portugal. Inside, a strangely out-of-place concrete column positioned at the very center of the house has no weight-bearing obligation. While the column seems to be for purely decorative purposes, its presence functions like a hinge, dividing each level into four equal sections.

So, how can we know that this particular column has no structural burden? It’s because the columns on the lower level hover a few inches above the ground.

Photo: Fala Atelier

So, how can we know that this particular column has no structural burden? It’s because the columns on the lower level hover a few inches above the ground.

One can reasonably assume that the homeowner must be a design enthusiast who desires a unique and artsy home. But that is not the case here. The owner is a person who was searching for an architect to sign the working drawing in order to obtain the construction permit and get everything done and over with without even being that concerned about the design. The search for an architect was motivated mostly by necessity rather than a passion for design.

“This was a house designed for a friend who was not interested in architecture at all. Most of his requests were of little importance for the design, allowing us to be free in our intentions,” said Fala Atelier.

Photo: Fala Atelier

Suspended House is a three-story residence with the main entrance on the second floor, which corresponds to the road level in front of the house. The back façade has a strikingly looking and colorful sun protection tarp. A silver drainpipe appears boldly in the middle, splitting the façade in half. The upper trims of the window frames are clad in a black and white striped pattern that has no precise significance or reasoning behind it. The most bizarre aspect of the façade is the pink circular slab of marble that stands boldly at the top of the structure.

Photo: Fala Atelier

Photo: Fala Atelier

The walls that link to the centerpiece column divide the second and third floors of the home into four sections. The column serves as a frame for the dark blue doors that surround it. The architect did not specify the function of each space, leaving it up to the owner to bring the house to life. The first level lacks the partitioning walls found on the other floors of the home, but the column remains, suspended above the ground. The levitating concrete column was joined to the beam framework above. Initially, the concrete column was designed to stand on its own. But, once the concrete was set and dried, the architect removed the bottom portion of the column, transforming it into a mind-boggling floating mass. The ceiling on the first floor reveals a protruding portion, giving the area the appearance of a three-dimensional collage rather than a play on different elements on a flat plane.

Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu

Photo: Fala Atelier

Photo: Ivo Tavares

Photo: Frederico Martinho

The project is similar to other works done by Fala Atelier in that it began with a simple requirement, and the architect was brought in more out of necessity than anything else. It corresponds to the current period in which Portugal’s real estate business has been revitalized with the prospect of a glorious return after the 2008 global economic recession. A design with such a strong character is a way for the studio to unleash itself from the repetitive briefs and constraints it has seen over the past several years and to be completely free of any expectation for utilitarian objectives or even meaning.

Wireframes | © Fala Atelier

Wireframes | © Fala Atelier

falaatelier.com
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PARIS 2024 PICTOGRAM

March 23, 2023
by admin

BREAKING DOWN THE DESIGN PRINCIPLE OF PARIS 2024 SUMMER OLYMPICS’ PICTOGRAM AND EXAMINING ITS ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS COMPARED TO THOSE OF PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES

TEXT: WEE VIRAPORN
PHOTO CREDIT AS NOTED

(For Thai, press here)

Humans learned to communicate through body language long before the existence of letters and writing systems, as evidenced by prehistoric wall paintings. Despite the development of written languages and alphabets, pictorial representations continue to have a place in today’s communication system. Pictograms have the potential and ability to help people from different linguistic backgrounds to understand each other. It produces endless sets of standard symbolic visuals for all kinds of activities, such as symbols for building safety regulations, washing care for garments, and even machinery and automobiles.

For an event that draws people from all over the world, such as the Olympics, sports pictograms have always been something that graphic design aficionados look forward to, just as much as the event’s logos and mascots. The easily recognizable sports pictogram was designed and used for the first time at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Other noteworthy pictogram designs that followed include the ones that Lance Wyman created for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Pictogram for 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo | Photo courtesy of the Organizing Committee for the Games of the XVIII Olympiad

Pictogram for 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City | Photo courtesy of Organizing Committee of the Games of the XIX Olympiad, MEXICO 68

Pictogram for 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich | Photo courtesy of ERCO GmbH Lüdenscheid

A pictogram is typically constructed using the grid system and other features that serve to form continuity while also possessing an identity that corresponds with other visual aspects as well as the cultural identity of the host country. One prominent example is Sydney 2000’s pictogram, in which boomerangs, one of the weapons of the Aboriginal people, Australia’s indigenous tribe, were shaped into the form of a human body. Another interesting example is the Beijing 2008 pictogram, with its details and lines that took inspiration from the inscriptions on ancient Chinese utensils.

Pictogram for 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney | Photo courtesy of SYDNEY 2000, ORGANISING COMMITTEE FOR THE GAMES

Pictogram for 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing | Photo courtesy of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee

It is undoubtedly difficult for a visual design for such a large-scale event to please everyone, be it the design enthusiasts or the general public. The London 2012 Olympics logo has faced criticism since its debut due to its unconventional typographic style. However, the pictogram took a rather realistic approach, while the Tokyo 2020 Olympics logo had to be revised due to a plagiarism allegation. The criticism leveled against these pictograms is that they are “unoriginal.” I had the same impression about Tokyo 2021’s pictogram, which is clearly an intentional attempt to modernize the design used for the Tokyo 1964 Olympics, until I attended the opening ceremony, in which real human performers were choreographed into the symbols in the most ingenious way.

Pictogram for 2012 Summer Olympics in London | Photo courtesy of The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited

Pictogram for 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo | Photo courtesy of Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee

When the introductory video for the 2024 Paris Olympics was first shown at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, audiences were captivated by a variety of novel concepts. New sports, such as skateboarding and breakdancing, were added while competition sites were held at major landmarks in the city. Certainly, the design of the event’s visual identity is equally impressive, from the logo, which combines different elements of the flaming torch, gold medal, and the face of Marianne, the woman who symbolizes the French Revolution, to the use of a vibrant color palette that reflects the host country and the city’s rich culture. Everything perfectly fits the overall mood and tone of the other media created for the event.

Photo courtesy of International Olympic Committee, 2023

The recently unveiled sports pictogram for the 2024 Paris Olympics upends many people’s expectations to the point that it feels uncertain if the design can be termed a pictogram at all. There are no human elements found in the symbols representing various sports categories. Instead, each symbol incorporates sporting equipment as well as features of competition grounds and venues, all of which are placed in a rectangular space divided by diagonal lines. The finished design looks like an emblem of a European family or city, with details and nuances that must be carefully explored, as opposed to most graphic symbols, which allow viewers to comprehend concepts and meanings in a brief period of time.

Photo courtesy of International Olympic Committee, 2023

I’m not sure how well this pictogram (?) will work. The first shortcoming and issue is how difficult it will be to notice when these symbols are employed in a smaller size compared to previous designs. The lines do not exactly correlate with the 2024 Paris Olympics’ logo, but rather with the 1924 Olympics’ logo, which was also held in Paris. Everything, I believe, is a purposeful endeavor to impart the inherent creativity of the past to the present. Every symbol in this pictogram is intended to present itself as an adaptable logo (a type of logo that varies its form and elements based on the scale of the space it’s in), which will be especially interesting when used in animated and interactive media formats.

Paris 1924 Olympic logo

Photo courtesy of International Olympic Committee, 2023

paris2024.org

LIXIL EXPERIENCE CENTER

February 7, 2023
by admin

LIXIL Experience Center entrance with GROHE AquaSymphony

RECENTLY LAUNCHED BY LIXIL THAILAND, LIXIL EXPERIENCE CENTER, BANGKOK IS A PREMIUM QUALITY SANITARY SHOWROOM OFFERING A SUPERLATIVE MULTI-SENSORIAL EXPERIENCE BY ALLOWING THE CUSTOMERS TO INTUITIVELY PROJECT HOW THEIR LIVING SPACES WOULD LOOK WHEN USING THE PRODUCTS

TEXT: PRATCHAYAPOL LERTWICHA
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIXIL (THAILAND) EXCEPT AS NOTED 

(For Thai, press here) 

In November of 2022, LIXIL Thailand, the pioneering water and housing products, launched LIXIL Experience Center, Bangkok. The space offers superlative experiences by premium quality sanitary ware brands under LIXIL, namely GROHE, American Standard and INAX. Situated in All Seasons Place building on Wireless Road of Bangkok’s city center, the project has Antoine Besseyre des Horts, Leader (VP), LIXIL Global Design, Asia, supervising the entire design of the showroom.

Antoine Besseyre des Horts, Leader (VP), LIXIL Global Design, Asia | Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan

“While online shopping is gaining popularity, physical places offer the opportunity for              experiencing the products in person, and allows the customers to intuitively project how their living spaces would look like when using the products,” Antoine Besseyre des Horts reveals the significance of LIXIL Experience Center in the era of online shopping.

The LIXIL Experience Center is divided into different zones to showcase products of the featured brands. Each of the three zones are designed to encapsulate each brand’s the distinctive character. While each zone is designed to have different details, every part of the display showroom is linked together with the shared purpose of introducing sanitary ware and kitchen fitting innovations that help people envision their dream homes and living spaces.

GROHE Zone

“LIXIL is made of multiple individual brands that have different value propositions and           positioning. For the design of each sections, we apply each brands’ signature elements to echo the brand’s distinctive identity. Then we consolidate the brands together with their shared promises of ‘making a better home a reality for everyone everywhere,’” said Antoine.

From the entrance hall, visitors are greeted with the exhibition space by GROHE, the brand known for state-of-the-art technologies for superlative and unique water experiences.

The highlight of the GROHE Zone of the GROHE SPA, which simulates the ultimate comfort and peacefulness that are akin to that of an upscale spa facility. The area is filled with the scented aroma of ‘AQUA Therapy,’ a special essential oil specifically created for GROHE SPA. The highlights of the zone include GROHE AquaSymphony, the innovative shower that offers six sprays and customizable song playlists and lighting and the GROHE faucet with ICON 3D technology or the three-dimensional metal printing technique. The surface polishing is done by hand, intricately crafting the faucet’s streamlined and unique form.

GROHE Icon 3D

GROHE SPA “The Five Senses Wall”

The fascination from the products in the GROHE zone still lingers as the program leads visitors into INAX Zone. INAX is known for its application of Japan’s water culture into          sanitary ware innovations. This particular zone stands out for its soft and delicate ambiance, in line with the character of INAX’s products, which boast curved and smooth lines. The INAX Zone proposes the ‘Curated by LIXIL Design Bathroom Solutions’ concept, presenting products under the INAX brand and GROHE’s fitting equipment to showcase a fun mix and match of sanitary products from different brands.

Curated by LIXIL Design Bathroom Solutions

Located at the furthest of LIXIL Experience Center is the American Standard Zone featuring products that are known for functional convenience, friendly and accessible designs and innovations such as sanitary ware items for the elderly and other health-oriented innovations. The American Standard Zone also exhibits the brand’s ACACIA SUPASLEEK and Signature Collection whose modern and stylish designs interestingly bring a new and fresher image to the American Standard brand.

American Standard Zone

ACACIA SUPASLEEK and Signature Collection

“In this experience center, the customers will enjoy a multi-sensorial experience such as scents and sounds that were curated to enhance the spaces and live displays showing water in its many forms and our latest technologies. The bathroom vignettes were designed to reflect the latest trends identified by our teams in terms of colors, materials and finishes. Then we offer a digital experience with LIXIL CustoMy Space that allows customers to visualize the bathroom view in 360° to suits their needs and aspirations. The customers also have the ability to see more products’ details and save them in the wish list by scanning the QR CODE adjoining to the products,” Antoine sums up the ideas behind the design of the LIXIL Experience Center.

To personally experience the LIXIL Experience Center, Bangkok, make an online appointment for a visit at  https://lixilshowroom-th.youcanbook.me/. For those who cannot make it to the LIXIL Experience Center, the online showroom is now available at  https://virtualshowroom.lixil.com/th.

lixil.co.th