Cafe in Buriram

In Buriram, the café introduces a new architectural layer without disturbing the original structure. While the existing old building serves as the main air-conditioned coffee house, we added a 7.5-meter-high steel "Sala." This semi-outdoor pavilion was inspired by the knockdown wooden houses people often buy to place near their homes.

Instead of just wrapping the old building in a new shell, this addition works as a thermal buffer for thermal comfort. It provides a thermal choice, acting as a place to adjust between the outdoor heat and the cooled interior. We left the space intentionally undefined, so the lack of a fixed function becomes an opportunity for various uses like casual lounging or public events.

The project redefines materiality by using 1,036 corrugated metal sheets, a common and low-cost material reimagined through craftsmanship. Installed with 15-centimeter gaps across 8,288 joints, the sheets allow the structure to breathe while playing with light and wind to create a visually weightless aesthetic. Through this intricate detail, the pavilion becomes more than just a facade. It is a living space that mediates between the old and the new, the cold and the heat, and the structure and its inhabitants.