Pattani is a well-known province as the land of multicultural society in southern Thailand that Thais, Malays and Chinese are living together. However, Pattani has suffered from the violent situation which has had a huge impact on economy and tourist industry. Foods in Pattani are unique and has strong influences from Malay and Indian cuisines. Roti is the famous local food, especially for breakfast and dinner. Many roti shops are just stalls and generally located on the footpath. Moreover, there is no roti restaurant which present modern architecture. Therefore, an idea to build a new roti restaurant has risen. We found the suitable location which is suitable to be restaurant. Many years ago, this place was car inspection center and has a big warehouse before it was renovated for restaurant. When the area was abandoned for many years, the many trees has been grown up and it has a prominent feature with a large tree in front. Due to the forest-like area, the restaurant is named as ‘Roti de Forest’, which means roti in the forest. According to the atmosphere around restaurant, the big warehouse and tree of this place are included in logo of restaurant to communicate that we renovate and develop this project from the context of this site every step.
The objective of ‘Roti de Forest’ project is to change abandoned area by renovated car inspection center to new Roti restaurant into useful and valuable area, and to present modern Malay Muslim culture, as mentioned earlier. Therefore, the restaurant was built with modern architecture and design, resulting in well-ventilated and more comfortable.The main concept is a contrast using of colors and materials between interior and exterior.The building used gray-black tone to present a modern style.The original main structures was painted black to show original form and look new. White electronic pipe was used to contrast with structure and main interior color tone. Electric lamp was under original roof truss in middle building and original roof beam orderly. Due to this site had only one entrance and exit from next to the road, the bare cement walls in front of the main building were built with diagonal direction, which guide the customer to the restaurant from both side in front. On the right hand of entrance designed to be an oblique fence which contrast with the oblique roof shape of the building on background. And the left hand side was original fence that is attached to house in next that parallel to the building. Therefore designed to make the oblique intersect with the building to bring the eyes to connect into the building part. And installed this restaurant's logo in a circle to metaphor Roti's shape contrasting across all square elements of building in this site. This wall link to bar inside the building which can show Roti's making process in front. The both wall look continuously but it was omitted to give prominently a large tree in front.
Since this building was car inspection center, there was a hole in middle for checking the suspension of car and be changed this hole to plant trees in the middle to increase shadier inside the building. The tiles at middle of the roof were replaced with polycarbonate roof which allows the light into the building to increase brighter and benefit for trees in the middle. The original equipment storage was changed to a kitchen next of Roti's bar but It was hided behind metal sheet wall. It had a metal sheet door which when door closed, It look same piece. Black color and vertical lines texture metal sheet make the building does not look too wide. The original office center was changed to billing area because this position is the middle of site for conveniently billing in every position in site , divided some areas into prayer areas for customers who the most are Muslim that will separate the male and female sections according to religious regulations, smashed some original walls in front of billing area to make the building look more airy and better ventilation and relate with green space outside. For the bathroom applied new white walls, exterior and interior to look new and clean more.
For outside, some trees had been removed to increase the free space resulting be a wide court at entrance to allow space for people to take photos and check in with the front sign that is consistent with modern lifestyle. In addition, overgrown grasses were removed and replaced with grey pebble to improve the brightness of the area. At the sample time, the grey pebble was also poured inside the restaurant which was original concrete floor to connect with outside of restaurant. But the disadvantage that if running fast, it may cause dust to spread resulting people being more careful when walking to give walking slowly not in a hurry that correspond back to the atmosphere of recreation desired.
Interior chairs and tables were made from a white steel frame and wood designed to be shaped and the material lightly look to enhance the contrast with black metal sheets. And bare cement walls whereas exterior cube chairs and tables were produced from bare cement with solid shape to enhance the contrast with the green space around the restaurant and resistant to weather outside well .In greenspace side used as bamboo fences to keep in harmony with nature by hanging decorative lights for night. Hanging decorative lights on the big tree in front made this site bright prominently at night from the road. In addition, the color of light used in the restaurant are intentionally designed to make our menus look more appealing and tastier.
This project was considered to raise the level to making new and unique experiences for local Roti restaurant by renovating the old building into a restaurant and being a new landmark in Pattani city.