handmade bricks form the 'baan pomphet' restaurant and hotel in ayutthaya, thailand

designed by creative studio onion and ML chittawadi chitrabongs, ‘baan pomphet’ is new restaurant and hotel built next to a historical fortress in thailand‘s old capital of ayutthaya. with a site overlooking two rivers and the anicent ‘pom phet’ monument, the recently completed project takes inspiration from its surroundings to create a contemporary building that fits within its context. 

main staircase of the hotel

all images by Wworkspace

when composing the layout of the building, the designers wanted to maximize the views for every guest while still maintaining their privacy. the masterplan separates the two functions, the restaurant and the hotel, and leaves the main circulation as an open place where everyone can see the river as they enter the site. designed to be welcoming, baan pomphet invites guests to explore surprising elements further down towards the river, such as a viewpoint of the pom phet fortress and a huge bodhi tree, which has been carefully preserved during the construction process.

main circulation of baan pomphet

brick was chosen to build the project as it a common material in ayutthaya and it also forms the structure of the nearby pom phet fortress. four different sizes of handmade bricks, with variations in length from 4 to 15 centimetres, were used. this variety in size results in different wall textures, which seem to capture light and shadow differently.

steps up to the rooftop bar, where a fantastic view of the sunset await

baan pomphet’s handmade bricks are produced by the local brick factory named BPK, a 30-minute drive from the site. the bricks are especially small, arranged in six different wall and floor patterns and boast a special orange color. this is due to the firewood baking process at BPK. the bricks that come out have slightly random orange colors as the firewood ovens are manually controlled, unlike in other factories.

towards the swimming pool and its zig zag brick walls

the orange color of the restaurant interior complements the tones of the handmade bricks outside and reflects the main dish on the menu, and the most famous dish of ayutthaya: grilled river prawn. a number of chanang – a thai utensil used for catching prawns and other small fish in the river – are also arranged on the restaurant’s ceiling as hanging lamps.

view from room no.2

the hotel rooms have two interior colors, both of which are inspired by food. the ground floor rooms are cha-plu leaf green, which is a common ingredient for thai food. its color is dark green and it tastes slightly bitter. the first floor rooms are jackfruit yellow. thai sweets tend to have jackfruit as an ingredient and its taste is sweet and fresh. the in contrast to the complexity of the exterior construction details, the interior design focuses on simplicity. the green and yellow colors also serve as a further contrast against the tones of the brick and timber.

grilled river prawn fat yellow joints, wooden seat and handmade teak lamps

handcrafted hanuman doorknobs mark a small yet important design element at baan pomphet. hanuman in ramayana epic is a son of vayu, the hindu wind god. drawn by chunsiri chai-ear to be later carved in teak, the hanuman signifies the wind and here it is a monkey with bulging cheeks and hair that moves clockwise in the wind. there are 16 throughout the restaurant and hotel, with each face slightly different to the next. 

handcrafted hanuman doorknob

finally, onion and ML chittawadi chitrabongs also design the family home for the owner of the project and ayutthaya local, saralee rattanapuchpong. located above the baan pomphet restaurant, this small dwelling space is created to reflect her personality: warm, welcoming and cozy. 

interior space of the restaurant, with customized tables, chairs and chanang lamps: all objects are made in thailand

handmade ceramic tiles from lampang in the north of thailand

the upper floor hotel rooms are ‘jackfruit yellow’ whereas the ground floor rooms are ‘chaplu leaf green’ 

home of the owner and her family

baan pomphet, the old water tower and phet fortress from ayutthaya period.

project info:

name: baan pomphet

program: grilled river prawn restaurant and 8-room hotel

location: next to ‘pom phet’ ancient fortress, u thong road, ayutthaya, thailand

architects: onion co. ltd. and ML chittawadi chitrabongs

lead architects: arisara chaktranon, siriyot chaiamnuay, ml chittawadi chitrabongs

interior designer: onion co. ltd.

structural engineer: sawekchai tangaramvong

contractor: double click construction co. ltd.

building area: 21,743 ft2 (2020 m2)

site area: 16059.75 ft2 (1492 m2)

completion year: 2020

photography: Wworkspace