Ethai Kerry Center

Ethai Café in Shanghai is a serene retreat nestled in the basement of the city’s Kerry Center, reinterpreting traditional Thai cuisine through a minimalist and earth-toned palette. The design evokes central Thailand’s archaeological landscapes, with seating niches that appear carved into rammed earth. A lowered ceiling and low wall unfold like a ribbon, guiding visitors into a vaulted timber-and-light structure that offers quiet privacy within the bustling mall. The interplay of raw terrazzo floors, white arched tile walls, wooden furnishings, vegetation, and artwork creates a tranquil, tactile “space within a space.”

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with Gianmaria Quarta / ​ph. Dirk Weiblen