A Minimalist Ode to Coffee Roasting

At Bangkok’s PAGA Microroastery, design consultancy Taste Space has created a multilevel monument to coffee, with solid bones, a transparent facade and milk-white interior. We spoke to the studio’s managing director Kijtanes Kajornrattanadech to find out more

Design Anthology: What was the client’s brief to you for the project?

Kijtanes Kajornrattanadech: The owner of PAGA Microroastery wanted a simple and peaceful place for customers to enjoy coffee.

What was your initial inspiration for the design and what narrative did you try to incorporate into the project?

The coffee beans make a long journey from the micro-lot mountain farm all the way to PAGA in central Bangkok, and we wanted to pay tribute to the fascinating process behind specialty coffee. We thus took cues from the mountain environment where the coffee beans are cultivated, using big silhouettes and curved details. We wanted to create a space where customers could have the full coffee experience from tasting to making.

Can you tell us about the location and how the building interacts with the neighbourhood?

The building is in Watthana, in the centre of Bangkok. There’s lots of expats living and working here, so there’s a real diversity of cultures. It’s a three-storey building on a corner block with a simple, solid glass facade.

Inside, the transparency helps transform the building as the natural sunlight changes. It’s a calm presence in the busy neighbourhood. Outside, we installed an LED engraved shop sign and a big mountain stone at the front to symbolise the story of PAGA.

How did you organise the space?

The ground floor, designed for brewing and drinking, is ringed by glass walls while the top two levels incorporate different functions. The first floor is the roasting area, and the top floor is a storage space and is also where workshops are held. There’s a gap between the interior construction and the facade to let in light, which casts patterns and shadows on the wall. It’s a private and inspirational space for workshop participants.

Can you tell us about the colour palette and materiality?

To make the space evoke a mountain landscape, we infused it with textured walls, a curved ceiling design, round furniture and tonal warmth to soften the neat white structure. The highlight is a triangular solid acrylic stone coffee bar that provides space for the baristas to perform and communicate with customers.

Do you have a favourite architectural design feature?

The double-height floor-to-ceiling glass is a favourite feature. It allows sunlight to flood the space and means that everyone can see the process of roasting from the ground floor cafe to the top. The entrance is positioned at a slanted angle for a new and interesting dimension. As customers step inside, the synergy of modern simplicity and nature can be felt instantly.

Images / Jinnawat Borihankijanan