Indeed, Bangkok is a sprawling, hot and loud urban jungle choked with traffic and people, and still, it pulls millions of visitors from across the planet every year. Now that travel restrictions have gradually been lifted, tourist numbers are shooting up again. But to most, the allure of the Thai capital – read: bar-hopping, clubbing, shopping and what not – comes with an expiration date, and very quickly, the bags and suitcases are once again packed for a sunny island down south. Well, that was yesterday. The opening of Risu Café has stretched the definition of tropical getaway, offering a total and soothing detachment of the city’s hustle and bustle smack in the middle of the popular Ekkamai area of town. Housed in a newly built. light-filled structure by local architecture practice ForX Design Studio, the café measures a spacious 650 sqm. (6,997 sq.ft.) spread over three floors and a tranquil inner courtyard. Inside, visitors come across three distinct zones. Right next to the entrance, encased in glass and facing a busy thoroughfare, sits the café with a full-fledged service counter and seating area furnished with a communal table, chairs and sofas.
The furniture pieces, all crafted from timber, are a mix of Japanese minimal and Scandinavian styles. The café looks out onto a courtyard with a slightly Zen-inspired landscaped garden. A corridor with additional seating connects the café’s front section with the back section where a kitchen and bakery are situated. A spiral staircase takes visitors to the second floor where a co-working space and exhibition space can be found, in addition to a sun terrace. The building also features a private residence which can only be accessed from the back of the parking area, and obviously it’s off limits to Risu Café visitors. Interestingly, only the residence owner is able to gain direct access to Risu Café on the second floor. The residence comprises a living area, pantry, toilet, and two bedrooms which are wrapped by a massive double façade with a triangular void and open-top plane to the sky, lending it a distinct demarcation and full privacy. The menu at Risu Café lists a wide range of coffee concoctions, in addition to teas and matcha options, and since there’s a bakery on the premises, you can indulge in a selection of freshly made pastries, cakes and desserts too.
Risu Café
117 Soi Pridi Banomyong 31 (Ekkamai)
Bangkok 10110
Daily 7.30am-4.30pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
