bathed in a lush green ambiance, this coffee shop in bangkok doubles as a meditative retreat

blurring the lines within NANA Coffee Roasters Bangna

Completed by IDIN Architects, the NANA Coffee Roasters Bangna branch in Bangkok could very well double as a meditative retreat in the heart of the bustling city. The architectural expression reveals a cluster of white-toned, minimalist buildings that combine with the outdoor landscape to create a lush green atmosphere, drawing visitors away from the buzzing Bangna-Trad motorway and redirecting their focus onto the coffee-drinking experience.

‘Through this concept, the boundaries between the three practices, architecture, interior, and landscape, are blurred – the realism of the exterior and interior are connected,’ write the architects. These ‘blurred’ spaces create ‘undefined areas’ bathed in a calming botanical setting. Thanks to a generous interior paneling of reflective glass mosaics, the outdoor landscape infiltrates the architectural gaps and flows into the coffee shop, further blurring the lines.  

focusing the design on the coffee-drinking experience 

IDIN Architects (see more here) designed all buildings within NANA Coffee Roasters Bangna to be simple and functional. Complementing the minimal form are boldly slanted rooflines that peak out of the green ‘bubble.’ These rooflines maintain continuity with the existing building, which extends into three masses where the Speed Bar and  indoor seats are located. Meanwhile, the front part of the existing structure now includes part of the Slow Bar and service zone; restrooms are added at the back of these buildings as independent pods, surrounded by the landscape for added privacy.

Simplicity and functionality extend into the interiors, where the main focus revolves around the coffee-drinking experience, a preference strongly emphasized by the main counter with its unevenly contoured top surface. The latter also serves as a social distancing tool, referring to the northern mountains range, where the coffee beans originate.

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project info:

name: NANA Coffee Roasters Bangna 

location: Bangna, Bangkok, Thailand 

project area: 250 sqm 

architecture + interiors: IDIN Architects 

landscape architecture: TROP: Terrains + Open Space

contracting: Wimutti Construction Limited Partnership 

photography: W Workspace | @wworkspace