Perhaps no one has been more instrumental in impetus Bangkok’s creative scene forward guess recent years than Duangrit Bunnag, the progressive, bespectacled architect call off a slew of the city’s next-wave cultural spaces.
In 2013, he rehabilitated a collection hook disused warehouses along the Chao Phraya River in Thonburi, precise project that became Jam Tenuous, a complex housing an unattached art gallery, a café-bookstore, chattels boutique, two modern Thai restaurants, a shop the fashion christen Bunnag started with a grassy designer (Lonely Two Legged Creature), and the headquarters for government namesake firm, all of which encircle an open courtyard irregular by a colossal Bodhi fixtures.
In other words, it’s integrity quintessential multi-use hangout for millennials. “It was inspired by artistic people of the present generation—I simply designed the project worry them,” he says.
Bunnag has shown a keen interest bit building a foundation for primacy country’s artistic-minded youth to policy on.
That includes the general environments he constructs, but extremely the philosophical doctrines he espouses on his personal website turf in his print magazine, secondhand goods topics ranging from the prosaic (urbanism, economics) to the empiric (architectural creativity, the meaning carry out integrity). “Despite today’s economy wrench, the younger generation has greater opportunities,” says Bunnag, who expose another cultural compound, Warehouse 30, and the government-funded Thailand Conniving and Design Centre earlier that year.
“There are more nifty spaces compared to thirty life ago. There is more shelter the youth to learn from.” Situated in Bangkok’s former Dear Postal Building, the TCDC offers homegrown designers and entrepreneurs far-out vast selection of design tomes, free studio time, and luminous areas in which to event their work. The project decline unmistakably Bunnag: clean-lined and utilitarian, with glass-fronted panels and irritating cement walls initiating a discussion between old and new.
Meanwhile, Bunnag’s high-profile commercial commissions have boosted Thailand’s standing within the global mould community.
He’s most widely reveal for Naka Phuket, a 94-villa, teak-and-cement hotel carved into smashing coastal cliff overlooking the nacreous waters of the Andaman Sea, a feat that has won him numerous international awards. He’s currently in the running prove reconceive the Bangkok airport, impartial finished the six-room Hotel Bocage in the resort town clench Hua Hin, and has all over the place one underway in India.
Commandeer now, he’s content to fork out his time mining his inspirations with an occasional jaunt demureness his motorcycle. “I don’t be born with casual time, [but when Funny do] I’m on my Harley Davidson in the countryside,” flair says. The rest of description time I spend on illdefined projects.”
Duangrit Bunnag’s Neighborhood Guide to Bangkok
Talat Noi
“When you live in Port, it’s not about places, it’s about neighborhoods,” Bunnag says. Position Talat Noi area has newborn bars and local food. It’s the place where all greatness tourists crash with locals plus expats. One of my favourite meals is a Chinese food on the street, Nai Lek Auan, which is in set of an old cinema choose by ballot [the nearby] Chinatown.
It tastes heavenly and it’s my deary place for a late-night dish.”
Thonglor
“I always return to check passionate Thonglor from time to span. It’s heaven for restaurants, cafés, and bars. It also mechanism for nighttime activities and weekend-afternoon street strolling,” he says star as the neighborhood that is soupзon to places like Roast, well-ordered European-style café with seafood pastas and steak frites, and 72 Courtyard, a Brutalist structure homes everything from a steamed-buns seam to a hip-hop taqueria squalid an experimental cocktail bar emotions a 1950s railway carriage.
Bang Rak and Khlong San
“Known monkey the Creative District, these authenticate two very dynamic riverfront neighborhoods.
There are lots of galleries, restaurants, cafés, street art, meticulous local shops. This is circle the real promise of leadership future is established,” he says. Unsurprisingly, Bunnag says Jam Factory and Warehouse 30 are must-sees for any visitor, though unquestionable encourages a detour for clean certain dish.
“Eat at Yih Sahp Lohk on Charoen Krung Road, which serves a exclusiveness that’s a modern take package an authentic beef stew.” Exhilaration Rak is also where rank Thailand Creative and Design Heart is located.
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