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Ninety minutes from Bangkok sits the historic city of Ayutthaya, once a centre of global diplomacy and commerce and now, after being burnt almost to the ground by the Burmese

army in 1767, an archaeological ruin and spectacular homage to the architecture of that time. With its soaring reliquary towers and monumental Buddhist monasteries, it’s an incredible place to visit and be inspired and, since August 2014, there’s no better base from which to do so than 26-room boutique hotel Sala Ayutthaya.

Designed by Thai architecture and interior design � rm Onion and located in the heart of the ancient city opposite one of its most famous temples, Wat Phutthaisawan, the property is both sensitive to its surroundings and refreshingly modern thanks to its juxtaposition of Ayutthaya-inspired brickwork and minimalist white walls.

When it came to the concept, the opportunities were limitless. “The brief was only the number of rooms,” recalls Onion’s Design Director Siriyot Chaiamnuay, who worked with his colleague Arisara Chaktranon on the project. “There was much room for creativity.”

And inspiration wasn’t hard to � nd. “We’ve known the owner of the Sala project, Tos Chirathivat, for eight years and he’s interested in building a series of boutique hotels in picturesque and historically important locations through Thailand. The Sala sites usually inspire us,” explains Chaiamnuay, who has worked on Sala hotels in Bangkok and Khao Yai, and is currently working on a property in Koh Samui. “In this case, we were inspired by the existing brickworks

at Ayutthaya, especially the buildings of Phutthaisawan Temple. They have fantastic proportions.”

Suitably inspired, the designers decided, then, to add a modern twist to the traditional building method. “We were not trying to balance the ancient surroundings with our designs; we studied the local techniques of constructing brickworks and challenged the brick workers to create something different,” Chaiamnuay says. Juxtapose this innovative brickwork with clean, white walls and you have the overall design concept of the hotel, which can be seen everywhere from the exterior courtyards to the interiors of the guestrooms.

The corridor leading from the reception and art gallery near the main entrance to the hotel’s central courtyard is the perfect example. From the passage, which is � anked by parallel, curved walls designed to frame a section of the sky, a white wall can always be seen and within it, the brickwork was designed with both Thai design forms and the natural rhythms of the day in mind.

“Our inspiration was the pattern of Thai ornaments, which are normally based on curves and acute angles,” Chaiamnuay notes. “We also focused our designs on the movements of shade and shadow of the brick wall rather than the wall itself. What we wanted to create was the animated shadows of Thai patterns.”

The result? A space characterised by constantly changing shadows which meet on the � oor at around 11am each morning, transforming its atmosphere at different times of the day.

Sala Hospitality Group has unveiled a new boutique hotel in Central Thailand, designed by Onion to be sensitive to its historic surroundings yet refreshingly modern.

Words: Elly Earls | Photography: © Wison Tungthunya

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Other particularly striking areas of the hotel include the white marble swimming pool, from which, of course, brick walls are visible too, and the riverside façade and terrace restaurant, the only space in the hotel where guests can enjoy the panoramic view of the Chao Phraya River and Phutthaisawan Temple.

Here, the building exterior looks like a white wall of gabled houses and specially designed steps lead down to the river itself. Not only are these eminently functional (they’re designed to be � ooded); they also add some extra architectural interest. “Our inspiration was the step wells in Rajastan, India, and with these steps, we can also celebrate a Thai festival entitled Loi Krathong at Sala’s riverfront. It comes from the tradition of making Krathong [� oating baskets] which are � oated on a river annually throughout Thailand,” Chaiamnuay explains.

Even within the restaurant itself, which serves international and Thai favourites and is the most typically resort-like space in Sala Ayutthaya with its plush cushions and almost beach club feel, local touches can still be found. For example, the bell-shaped granite

lamps, which are the restaurant’s main feature, were custom-made by a local factory, as were the bricks inscribed with ‘Sala’ and ‘Onion.’

But it’s one of the guestrooms, all of which are completely different (“We were bored by the typicality of rooms,” Chaiamnuay exclaims), that the architect says is his favourite spot in the property. “The private swimming pool within the pool villa is my favourite space,” he says. “In the pool, you may feel trapped between the bedroom and a high brick wall, but the nice part is that the pool is open to the sky.”

Besides the pool villa, the other 25 guestrooms at Sala Ayutthaya are all unique – some spacious, some compact, some with direct access to the pool, and others with stunning river views – while at the same time sharing many similar features, including a modern, bright, airy feel, Thai shapes, like the leaping tiger engraved on the bed’s headboard, and the wooden structures that signify the bathroom area. “When guests leave Sala Ayutthaya, we hope they will later wish to return and stay in a different room,” Chaiamnuay concludes, ensuring each stay is a new experience.

Previous Page: The property is both sensitive to its surroundings and refreshingly modern thanks to its juxtaposition of Ayutthaya-inspired brickwork and minimalist white walls Above: Despite its beach club feel, local touches can also be found in the restaurant

EXPRESS CHECKOUT: 26 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 bar | 1 treatment room, swimming pool | www.salaresorts.comOwner: Osodtong Company Limited | Operator: Sala Hospitality Group | Architecture & Interior Design: Onion