All images © Enter Asia Projects
To transform a 450-square-meter space into serene pods for yoga, Thai architecture studio Enter Projects Asia built an undulating structure of rattan. Harvested from the palms of Southeast Asia, the natural material lines the walls and encloses the overhead lighting before swooping down to form a lengthy bench. The result is a serene, light-filled area that flows from ceiling to floor, mimicking the gentle movements of yoga poses.
Thai timber bears the structure’s load, while the rattan separates two large studios and two smaller, private rooms. The sanctuaries were designed for yoga brand Vikasa‘s retreats. “All elements of the project were made from natural, local materials to be a hub or a portal for their existing location, which is based on a hillside in Koh Samui: Thai hardwood, local black slate, bamboo and most notably, rattan,” Patrick Keane, design director for the Enter Projects Asai, told Dezeen.
The architecture studio collaborated with designer Project Rattan to combine classic weaving and 3D techniques, and local craftspeople used digitally created templates and frames to inform their construction process. A glass facade holds the rattan forms, which occupy the second floor of the building, with Vikasa’s cafe on the street level. It’s “an oasis of tranquillity amongst the chaos of Bangkok,” Keane says.
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