Central Embassy and design firm KDa redefine the concept of retail with the city’s first “co-living space”

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Time Out Bangkok editors
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Central Embassy has finally unveiled what’s behind the closed-up area on the sixth floor next to the plush Embassy Diplomat Screens. As it turns out, it’s a massive, awe-inspiring space called Open House. Bringing together a fine selection of food and retail products, natural-themed interior design and gorgeous views of the city, Open House has high hopes of becoming the new favorite hangout for city dwellers.

Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

9,000 handdrawn leaves on the ceiling
Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

Co-living space

Designed to be the ultimate retail and lifestyle space, Open House offers diversions and enjoyment befitting the lifestyle of the stylish urbanite. If the space where people work together is a co-working space, Open House, in a sense, can be praised as the city’s first co-living space. The area is roughly divided into seven zones: a food hall called Eating Deck, a full-service restaurant zone called Eat by the Park, an Open House bookshop, a working zone called Co-Thinking Space, the Art Tower gallery featuring rotating exhibitions, the Design Shop and the Open Playground for kids.

Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

Design for all

Interiors are credited to Tokyo-based design firm Klein Dytham Architecture or KDa, whose portfolio boasts renowned retail sites such as Daikanyama T-Site, Uniqlo Ginza and Ginza Place. “We want to provide an indoor park for everybody, from kids to parents to grandparents. Retail in Bangkok is really sophisticated. But there’s no place where you can really hang out. It is so hot you cannot go outside, but here you can sit and enjoy the greenery. Open House provides an environment where you can refresh yourself and refresh your state of mind,” reveals chief designer Astrid Klein. She continues to explain that the biggest challenge in designing Open House was making the most of the massive 7,000sqm space. “We tried to break it down. We wanted a big open space but we also wanted to provide comfortable corners – human-scale places where you will be more protected and not so exposed.”

Astrid Klein

Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

Hearty food

Central Embassy handpicked some of the best dining venues from around town to include in Open House. There are choices for every foodie inclination, including vegetarian food from Broccoli Revolution, international fare from Water Library, Italian eats from Peppina, Thai delights from Nara, seafood from The Raw Bar and pastries from Paris Miki.

Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok
Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

Bookworm haven

Shane Suvikapakornkul of Hardcover: The Art Book Shop helps fill up the shelves of the bookshop with a variety of tomes, from art books to cookbooks to comics

Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok

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