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Architects: BBWORKSPACE
- Area: 200 m²
- Year: 2025
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Photographs:Rungkit Charoenwat
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Manufacturers: Bangkok Crystal, Chiangmai Bricks, KENZAI, SKK, TOA, Thai Soung
Concept: A Brilliance of Light – THE FACETS is a renovation and extension project of a café located within the grounds of a renowned gemstone shop in San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai. The design centers around expressing the "variety of gems" through architectural language, creating a space that is distinctive, alluring, and sensorially engaging. Inspired by the beauty of gemstones such as diamond, opal, amethyst, garnet, emerald, aquamarine, sapphire, and citrine, the design translates their forms, colors, and reflective qualities into built form, while subtly integrating local cultural identity.
Architecture: From Crystal Clarity to Iridescent Facades – The architecture is divided into two primary volumes.
- Renovated Volume: The existing building is transformed into a crystal-like mass using two sizes of clear glass blocks arranged in alternating patterns. The palette of white, silver, and transparency allows the interior to softly glow at night, echoing the radiance of a gemstone within a display case.
- New Addition: Inspired by the faceted geometry of a diamond, the new extension features a steel structural frame clad in acrylic panels coated with dichroic film. These panels shimmer with iridescence, subtly shifting hues with the sun's angle and time of day—turning the building envelope into a living jewel that glows and dances with light.
Interior Design: Layers of Lightness and Sparkle – The interior design narrates the journey of a gemstone before it is polished, still buried in the earth, unrefined. Certain wall elements are shaped to resemble stone caves, with textured surfaces evocative of natural geological strata. The overall palette is white with reflective materials, symbolizing the purity of crystalline form. The counter bar is sharply faceted and clad in mirrored aluminum, producing a luminous floor reflection reminiscent of a diamond's brilliance. Above, delicate acrylic panels are suspended from the ceiling, swaying with the air and catching the light at shifting angles. Furniture pieces draw inspiration from raw stone forms, wrapped in glossy laminates and colored acrylics that reference specific gem hues, infusing the space with vibrancy while maintaining transparency and airiness.
Landscape: A Dialogue Between Nature and Craft – The garden is designed with simplicity and serenity in mind. A selection of leafy green plants provides softness and contrast against the building's geometry. A free-form pond weaves between the outdoor seating areas, reflecting and animating the architecture throughout the day. Locally crafted materials are prominently featured, including handmade clay bricks used to construct gently curved walls. These elements lend warmth and a sense of cultural continuity, subtly bridging contemporary expression with artisanal tradition.
Conclusion: A Living Gem – The Facets does more than mirror the image of gemstones—it reinterprets their essence through form, light, and texture, transforming them into emotional and spatial experiences. It is not merely a coffee shop, but rather a living gem at the heart of San Kamphaeng, where architecture captures light, reflects place, and refracts culture.
