CONCEPT

The word is also a part of the name of the province of Chiang Mai, where it is located. And while it has the name which means “the new city,” Chiang Mai is one of the oldest cities in Thailand.

The architectural design of "Mai Hotel,” a newly renovated boutique hotel located in the heart of Chiang mai, Thailand, expresses the combination of the old and the new heritages of Lanna culture. The design deconstructed and modernized the beauty of the province's civilization. Travelers can sense the atmosphere of being amidst the hip, modern but still in the vibe of the local Northern Thailand area.

This is why we decided to borrow the same context of aesthetics from its architecture and the meaning of the word Mai that lives inside Chiang Mai, the oldest town.

The graphic design method is to rearrange the old vernaculars of the Lanna’s culture such as colors, shapes and patterns into the new modern context. The colors are retrieved from local Lanna materials and landscapes in the province. The shapes and forms are borrowed from traditional local clay containers and traditional decorative elements. Its logotype is designed by deconstructing and reconstructing the detail of the type serifs that still reflect the local vernacular while still relating to the modern context.

As a result, the overall look of the hotel is complex, sophisticated yet airy and earthy. It is in the hope of the design team that this reflects the beautiful culture of Lanna heritage and relates to the contemporary and unique context of the city while still giving people a sense of simplicity of the local livelihood in Chiang Mai.