Discover how an architectural landmark was fused with hospitality, allowing history to serve the community again.

The renovation of the Taraba Prime Japanese Restaurant in Bangkok is a compelling example of preserving architectural history while creating a culinary destination. Completed in 2024, the project transformed an existing building on Soi Sukhumvit 20—the street's first house—into an authentic Japanese dining space. Originally designed by Pol Chulasewok, the structure is an early, significant example of Modern Architecture in Thailand. Located in a fiercely competitive business district, the project holds substantial economic and architectural value.

Crucially, the owners chose conservation over demolition. This meticulous project rigorously preserved key features like the iconic sunscreen elements and the original structure's historic traces, opting to revitalize the old structure by preserving its original form and painstakingly revealing its historical traces. The existing layout was adjusted to suit the restaurant's floor plan and requirements, allocating space efficiently and arranging seating for optimal capacity and comfort within the original grid pillars and limitations of the historic building.

The design team created a luxurious, comfortable, and modern atmosphere infused with a humble Oriental spirit, which, combined with warm lighting, enhances the dining experience. The interior design emphasizes simplicity and order through proportionate spatial arrangements, aligning with the Japanese aesthetic principle of repetition. This meticulous approach successfully blends the building's historical tradition with modern, luxurious dining.

This renovation project not only saved an important piece of Thai modern architectural history but also established a unique and practically functional presence and fostered sustainability.

Experience authentic Japanese cuisine and live Taraba crab at this unique location: the very first house on Soi Sukhumvit 20, Bangkok. The design emphasizes simplicity and naturalness, using soft light and shadow to create a perfectly serene atmosphere.

Embodying Simplicity and Order through proportionate spatial arrangement, the design utilizes curved, natural stone veneer partition walls adorned with Sumi-e mountain art, recalling Fusuma and Shoji's intrinsic square grid patterns. This conveys profound serenity and natural beauty. Strategic spotlighting creates captivating 'Kage' shadows on surfaces, adding significant depth and dimension to the atmosphere, consistent with the Aesthetics of Repetition and Arrangement found in Koumado and other traditional Japanese square grids