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THE CHEDI PHUKET PHUKET, THAILAND |
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ARCHITECTURE / INTERIOR DESIGN |
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| Edward Tuttle |
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Amid coconut palms and gently rolling slopes, Chedi Phuket elegantly sashays down a varied landscape to rest along the island’s finest white sandy beach at Pansea Bay.
Paris-based architect and designer Edward Tuttle not only specialises in tropical destinations but also actually lives part-time in Thailand. This retreat was transformed by Tuttle rather than being built from scratch since it was created based on the floor plan of a previous resort. In collaboration with Bangkok-based designer Jon Vorapot Somton, Tuttle combined local materials and traditional Thai designs with modern functionality: All the roofs are thatched and these geometric forms are contrasted by the naturally irregular shapes of the surrounding palms, shrubs and rocks. A western design approach is apparent in the choice of a herringbone floor pattern for the library and in the restaurant’s dramatic lighting. The umbrella-shaped ceiling of the restaurant is made from wood, but floors and walls are made out of grey granite, as are the steps that lead to the hexagonal pool. Lustrous black anthracite, the hardest of all coals, makes up the pool’s tiling and creates dramatic reflections at night.
To keep sight of the ocean as much as possible pavilions and public buildings are linked by elevated walkways. On entering the private guest areas, which are made up of pavilions and cottages, you’ll find that all furnishings have been tailor-made and especially designed to underscore the Chedi Phuket’s unique style. Guest cottages literally invite the surrounding nature inside through their shuttered doors, by being covered in teak floors and filled with earth-coloured fabrics. A private veranda and secluded sun deck nestles each cottage beautifully in to its own patch of paradise. |
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