tai soon bar by taste space combines craft beer with red neon lights in bangkok

what was originally an abandoned chinese drug store in bangkok, thailand, has been transformed into tai soon bar by design studio taste space. the project, which takes inspiration from its historical location, has been envisioned to harness the existing charms of the 100 year old building. combining past with present, the recent intervention is based on the concept of ‘contrast, twist and heritage’ to create the new craft beer bar. 

all images © section studio

to retain the charm of the existing architecture, taste space has maintained the same building structure and façade. to bring something new to the area, the original features are juxtaposed with red neon light logos and chinese lighting installations, creating a warm and inviting ambience inside.

inspired by the furniture of the former drug store, the craft beer counter is built to resemble an old drug cabinet. to bring a contemporary twist, taste space has added circle neon lighting above the counter and neon strip lighting to highlight the 13 beer taps. the interior design also reveals the beautiful texture of the cracked and broken walls, making the new bar feel authentic within its surroundings. 

to connect the three floors of the bar, a void is formed at the second floor level and filled with hanging chinese lanterns. suspended in the double height space, these bright elements add continuity to the bar as a whole. at the second floor, the arched balcony is roughly broken to show the steel construction of the building. from here, patrons can enjoy a view of the broken arch together with the chinese red lighting installation, perfectly conveying the fusion of past and present. 

project info:

project name: tai soon bar

project type: bar

location: 188 maha chai road, samranrat, phra nakorn, bangkok, thailand

design: taste space

area: 1969.8 ft2 (183 m2)

completion date: 03 september 2019

photography: section studio

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom