Filling a gap in the market, CityFresh‘ foundation in 1989 as Thailand’s first fresh fruit import company has shaped the local market to what it is now. Ever since, the country has continuously innovated its operations, growing from merely a wholesale business, and a highly successful one at that, to delivering directly to discerning individual consumers as well. The latter operations have lately seen a new benchmark in Khlong Tan Nuea, a leafy inner city neighbourhood in Bangkok, which totally redefines the concept of a fruit shop. Occupying almost half of a former residential building, CityFresh measures no less than 602 sqm. (6,480 sq.ft.) spread across four floors.
The redevelopment and interior design, created by local architecture practice Spacy Architecture, sees a largely transparent façade which reveals most CityFresh‘ facilities from afar. Indeed, the store aims to be more than a retail space, but also a venue where kindred community gathers over, yes indeed, fruits, but also all things related. The glass-encased ground floor sees a lofty aisle lined with tiered shelving laden with various fruit offerings on one side, and a sales counter and café directly opposite, and the latter intended for meetings. The setting incorporates different transparent and light, low-profile materials selected to both reflect the natural light and create pleasing visual textures. One floor up, the café’s larger seating area unfolds, including a large communal table for group meetings and workshops, and all with a similar aesthetic.
Planters with lush vegetation further boost the sense of calm and relaxation to this setting. The third floor is home to a full-fledged cooking studio with a mobile kitchen where cooking classes are given by both professional and renowned chefs, and obviously, to promote a healthy modern lifestyle, lots of fruits and veggies are included in class. The kitchen area is connected to a versatile private dining space which can be converted to accommodate group activities. A large willow tree not only creates shade, but also adds a soothing touch to the setting. The top floor of CityFresh features office space, a separate co-working area and a meeting space which accommodates ten people.
CityFresh
63/4 Soi Pridi Banomyong 26 (Khlong Tan Nuea)
Bangkok 10110
Telephone: +66 82 6899858
Daily 8am-6pm
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.
