Thailand has a cafe that grows with the trees! A special slit in the roof lets the giant trees continue reaching for the sky
This cafe is so beautiful!
Building a cafe doesn’t have to mean clearing out the natural environment first. At Harudot Chonburi by Nana Coffee Roasters in Chonburi, Thailand, the biggest draw isn’t the coffee—it’s a large tree growing straight through the center of the roof, continuing its reach toward the sky.
Instead of removing the tree, the building grew around it
Images from Instagram / @dofskyground
Designed by Thai firm IDIN Architects, the cafe took a different approach to the site’s existing trees. Rather than removing them, the architects adjusted the design to open up the roof, leaving enough room for growth. This integrates the trees right into the space, making the building look as if it slowly grew around them.
Sunlight and foliage become part of the space
Images from Instagram / @dofskyground
From the outside, the cafe features pointed gable roofs and large glass panels, blurring the lines between the interior, exterior, and greenery. Sunlight filters in through the roof openings, naturally drawing the eye to the upward-reaching trees at the center. This gives the stationary architecture a living, breathing feel that continues to change over time.
Even the name hides a meaning of new beginnings
Images from Instagram / @harudot.chonburi
The name Harudot echoes this same concept. “Haru” means spring and new beginnings in Japanese, while “dot” symbolizes a starting point. Rather than treating nature as an afterthought added once construction is complete, Harudot reserved a place for it from the very beginning. As the trees continue to grow taller, the cafe’s appearance will change right along with them.
Join Popbee Circle and subscribe to the Popbee newsletter for the latest updates and early access to exclusive rewards and discounts. Besides this article, here are a few more stories worth checking out:
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