Designed by: @phtaalivingdesign
Captured by: Kukkong Thirathomrongkiat
Archive Auto is located in Bangkok’s Bangna district, combining car washing, detailing and vehicle storage with a café designed to complement the waiting experience. Occupying the front of a renovated row house, the café is visible from the main road while remaining visually connected to the automotive service area at the rear, allowing visitors to enjoy a coffee while watching work being carried out on their vehicles. The project also includes the refurbishment of a former warehouse with a trussed structure located behind the main building.
Previously used as an auto parts warehouse and mechanical workshop, the service area retains its generous ceiling height and multiple mezzanine levels. Rather than introducing several staircases, the design incorporates a movable staircase that provides access to the intermediate floors while also serving maintenance needs in the upper sections of the building. Semi-transparent partitions define the vehicle storage area without enclosing the space, while the existing roof was repaired and adapted to improve daylight and natural ventilation.
The café was developed around the reuse of materials from the existing building. Original perforated roller shutters in good condition were repurposed as the backdrop to the coffee bar, reinforcing the project's approach to material reuse. Inside, the bar and entrance are positioned at an angle, responding both to the building’s structure and the flow of traffic along Bangna-Trad Road, while reducing the linear feel of the original row house. The upper two floors are reserved for rental spaces.
Facing the busy road, the new façade reinterprets elements from the building’s previous use. Inspired by the wire mesh storage systems once used for auto parts, two layers of mesh panels create a transparent screen with diagonal and vertical patterns. The façade improves ventilation and security without requiring a solid front fence, while the angled arrangement of the panels forms a projecting canopy that provides shade to the building.