Dezeen Magazine

Exterior view of Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects

Baobab tree grows through curving cafe in Thailand by IDIN Architects

Gabled forms clad in blackened wood are curved and pulled apart to create "dynamic and memorable" spaces at Harudot, a cafe in Thailand by local studio IDIN Architects.

Located in the beachside town of Chonburi, Harudot was designed for both the cafe brand Nana Coffee Roasters and the owner of the site.

IDIN Architects said the owner has a "particular interest in unique plants", which informed the curving shapes of the cafe.

Rear elevation of Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
IDIN Architects has created the Harudot cafe in Thailand

Harudot is organised across three interconnected buildings. A meeting room, toilets and kitchen are contained in a rectilinear structure to the north, while seating areas occupy the curved structures to the south.

In these southern structures, the seating hugs circular areas of planting, with the gable roofs pulled open to allow for natural light to enter from above.

This roof opening also creates space for a large baobab tree to grow.

Blackened-wood exterior of Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
It is clad in blackened wood

"The building is separated into smaller masses to make it more human-scale, which established different zones such as the bar, coffee drinking zone, a lounge, a meeting room and the restrooms," explained IDIN Architects.

"The giant gable roof form of each mass is pulled apart at certain parts, allowing the tree to penetrate through a void to the sky creating a semi-outdoor space underneath," it continued. "It appears as if the seed of the baobab has been planted long before and grew out through the architecture as time passes."

Large triangular entrances lead into the two curving forms, with full-height glazing incorporating doors that connect the external seating areas with the interiors.

While separate from the outside, the three forms are connected by large arched openings internally. Flowing lines and text embedded in the stone floor between them provide wayfinding and create a sense of continuity.

baoab tree inside a cafe
A baobab tree grows through its roof

Harudot's exterior is clad in vertical blackened timber planks that emphasise its curving form, contrasted internally by pale timber and black furniture and fittings.

The visual identity of the cafe is informed by Japanese design, which led to an approach described by IDIN Architects as "humble simplicity with attention to details".

Wood-lined interior of Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Curved openings connect the three buildings that form the cafe

IDIN Architects was founded by Jeravej Hongsakul in 2006, and its name is an acronym for Integrating Design into Nature, a strategy that carries through all of the studio's work.

The studio previously completed another cafe for Nana Coffee Roasters in Bangkok, the same city in which it created its own charred-wood office.

The photography is by DOF Sky|Ground.

More images and plans

Floor plan of Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Floor plan
Sections of Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Sections
Sections of Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Sections
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects
Harudot cafe by IDIN Architects