Choui Fong Tea Cafe | IDIN Architects

Choui Fong Tea Cafe was designed by IDIN Architects, located in the area of Choui Fong tea plantation where is covering with a number of huge hills.

photography by © DOF Sky|Ground

Instead of locating the tea café on the hilltop, the architect decided to lay the buildings hidden in the hill but outreach to take the view of a plantation.
The idea is to keep the hilltop view where the building rooftop would then be a 360-degree viewpoint of the plantation. Here at the rooftop, in addition to the natural atmosphere of the plantation, the visitors can do observe the farmers’ activity, tea leaves ‘hand pick’ harvesting during the day.

photography by © DOF Sky|Ground

The main building is composed of three buildings; they are floated and outreached from different viewpoints. The functional areas included dining zone, café, teashop, and toilets. Scale and proportion of them are various and depended on those usages of each building.

photography by © DOF Sky|Ground

The structure is challenged point, we can see they are floating when we look at them from the foothill and only one pile appears to bear the entire building. The retaining wall at the back is set into a distance of the building to create an extra space for the green courtyard to provide shade and shadow in this area.

photography by © DOF Sky|Ground

There is another separated building of toilets for visitors at the parking lot; this is to alleviate the visitor circulation during the high season. Same as with the main building, this toilet building is also hidden under the hill and also composed with stone and green courtyard for shady.

photography by © DOF Sky|Ground

Project Info:
Architects: IDIN Architects
Location: Rural Rd Chiang Rai, Tambon Mae Chan, Amphoe Mae Chan, Chang Wat Chiang Rai 57110, Thailand
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: Spaceshift Studio
Architect in Charge: Jeravej Hongsakul, Rubporn Sukatup, Eakaluk Sirijariyawat, Supachai Phiromrach
Interior Architects: Jureerat Korvanichakul, Sarin Rangsikanbhum
Structural Engineer: Pakanut Siriprasopsothorn
Project Name: Choui Fong Tea Cafe