Among the 16 global projects recognized by Prix Versailles with a World’s Most Beautiful Restaurants award this year is a unique café space in Chonburi, Thailand, from the 20-year-old Bangkok studio IDIN Architects, which garnered particular attention for its delightful and well-detailed design.

The stand-alone Harudot project was completed between February 2022 and June of last year. The client, a local coffee roastery, had expressed their desire to pursue a design that affirmed their brand identity’s inspirations in Japanese culture. As a result, the space exhibits a refined naturalism that, as with the other inclusions in Prix Versailles restaurant selections, is a “tribute to architecture and its commonality with people.”

IDIN's name itself is an acronym for Integrating Design Into Nature. They say: “The name ‘Haru’ translates to ‘Spring’ in Japanese, referring to a ‘new beginning’ and ‘growth’ while ‘Dot’ symbolizes a starting point.”

A deliberate breakdown of its massing allows for the imposition of the human scale. At the center, a void allows a tree and rainwater to punctuate the gable-roofed composition while creating a semi-outdoor space underneath.

Inside, the seating arrangement unfurls like a ribbon, wrapping the spaces enclosed by Barrisol stretch ceilings. The interior plan and division of the massing allow for different zones indicating the use for each space (a bar, coffee-drinking zone, lounge, meeting room, and restrooms).

The outdoor seating is made from resin mixed with coffee grounds, rice, and leaves, the floor is made from terrazzo with an ingrain floral pattern, and the walls are finally finished in wood to create a dynamic between the warm interior space and black rendered facades. One final detail to consider is the custom-designed fonts and signage, which are reportedly inspired by circular dots and the spring season.

The project will next compete for one of three 2024 World Titles — Prix Versailles, Interior, and Exterior — which are expected to be announced at the UNESCO Headquarters in late November.