Koto Tea Space - Design Business Directory

Koto Tea Space

Koto Tea Space, a tranquil Japanese teahouse nestled in downtown Bangkok, brings the enchanting concept of "Shichu no Sankyo" to life a country retreat within the urban pulse. Concealed by wave-patterned ceramic tiles, the entrance shields from the city's chaos, warding off sunlight and rain. Inside, the Tea Salon boasts 6 seats and 2 tatami areas, offering a peaceful horizontal design reminiscent of Shugaku-in's signature shelf. With a focus on harmony, the existing structure, earthy walls, and natural lacquer-finished furniture unite to create an inviting coziness.

Created by Takanao Todo

7.400 Views

Honored with the A' Design Award.

Takanao Todo

Takanao Todo is an architectural designer, ceramicist, lecturer and educator for supporting dyslexia in Japanese. His major contribution in design is realization of seamless integration from object, furniture, space and to the level of operation, while applying conceptual approach enabling to share the latent narrative to wider audiences. He is challenging how Japanese tea culture can evolve outside of Japan through design also. As Takanao is the first official dyslexic Japanese, his success encourages many dyslexia in Japan, as dyslexic social awareness in Japan is not well acknowledged.

Takanao Todo Creative Domains

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