A Thai street-food market is not what you might expect to see amid the skyscrapers of Toronto’s financial district. The Khao San Road Asian restaurant is designed to give the look and feel of its Bangkok namesake – a thoroughfare famous for its outdoor market selling an array of enticing foods.
During Toronto’s harsh winters, outdoor eating may not be the ideal. So, the designers, DS Studio and Make Studio, brought the street indoors. At Khao San Road the interior and exterior have, for all intents and purposes, switched places. Design elements have been chosen to recreate the informal atmosphere of the street. Thus, the dynamism of the Thai street-food experience can be enjoyed in a cozy indoor setting.
Bare concrete floors, towering glass walls and a stunning tile design give the restaurant its distinctive ambience. The hand-painted, patterned tiles, imported from Thailand, extend up two stories along a section of interior wall. Visible from the street through the glass exterior, the tiles form a vibrant and colourful component offsetting the functional, urban look of the glass and concrete structure.
A double-height graffiti wall adds to the cool, street-life vibe. Food is served from booths resembling food shacks, while customers sit at simple wooden tables in a distinctly informal setting. Bamboo screens highlight the Asian connection.
At Digital Ceramics, we know how custom tiles can make a big difference to any public space. Reach out to us soon, and let’s discuss how our tiles could make that difference to your design project.
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