Thailand is home to an increasing number of coffee drinkers, and there’s lots of interesting architecture to keep up with the rising demand. Today, we’ll highlight a new coffee shop in the country's third-largest city, Nakhon Ratchasima, called French Kitsch III. The concept blends material inspiration and creative spatial configuration together with form.

Bangkok-based TOUCH Architect designed the structure with a total floor area of 2,900 square feet using concrete as its main building material, leaving behind an instantly “strong, memorable” image upon its opening last year. The team had imagined a wedding of kitsch and their client's love for French bulldogs in the form of architecture. What it produced, in the end, enhances the brand identity while creating a retail experience that's easy and sure to lure customers back for another sip.

The team of four architectural designers explains their work: “By using textured concrete, it strengthens the concept of perfection of imperfection, where the wall is not completely smooth, but it reflects the authenticity of the material which can be beautiful by itself.”

Inside, customers can grasp the scope of the design's French cathedral reference while seated in an understated and pleasing alimentative environment. 

Vaulted ceilings further enhance the impression of a cave that's created by the oversized imperfect arch tunnel opening leading to the main counter space and second floor above. The different scales of the croissant-shaped arches are another aspect that was designed to deliver the café's scenographic division of space. 

Voids have been carved out of the inverted curvature of the roofline, simultaneously acting as shading devices while allowing unique impositions of natural light to occur.

Last week, we featured another Thai café space in Bangkok from the 2024 Prix Versailles 'World's Most Beautiful Restaurants' competition.