Weiszblüth & Brown designs tiny Thai eatery in LA that "packs a punch"

Diners pack tightly into this informal Thai restaurant in Los Angeles, which local studio Weiszblüth & Brown has designed to echo the intense flavours of the food served.

Holy Basil Market has 16 seats within just 90 square feet (8.4 square metres) of space in Atwater Village, following a highly successful first location Downtown.

Chefs and partners Wedchayan "Deau" Arpapornnopparat and Tongkmala "Joy" Yuons tasked Weiszblüth & Brown with maximising the compact unit so that the restaurant would feel as bustling as a Bangkok street market.

"Weiszblüth & Brown took cues from the chef's tendency for bright, intense flavors and hard-edge branding," said the studio. "The space, like the food, packs a punch."

Due to the lack of floor area, the designers removed the visual barrier between back and front of house, continuing the stainless steel from the kitchen into the dining space.

A metal service counter has a lower shelf for diners to perch against, while the same material appears as small chairs and stools.

Bright red rectangular baskets are stacked along the wall to form shelving and act as bases for flexible tables that can easily be rearranged.

Tops for these ad-hoc tables were specially designed to slot neatly over two boxes and are wrapped in vinyl that's covered with imagery of food laid on a tablecloth.

The baskets can also be upturned and used at extra stools during busy periods, or stored to the side if more floor area is required.

Additional seating is provided in a partially covered area outside the entrance, under a neon sign that spells out the restaurant's name.

Glass panels and doors fill an arched opening that provides views into to brightly lit space from the alley.

"Eater LA described the space as 'almost suffocatingly intimate', and it's a feat of hospitality that Deau and Joy are able to welcome so many into such a small space," said Weiszblüth & Brown.

A trend for more intimate dining spaces appears to be gaining popularity in the US, evident in the launch of several restaurants that can seat just a handful of guests.

An all-pink restaurant with 18 covers recently opened in Richmond, Virginia, while an omakase spot with room for only eight in New York began welcoming diners earlier this year.

Ceramicist Alex Reed and architectural designer Dutra Brown founded Weiszblüth & Brown after Dezeen published their Harvest Shop pop-up designed for lifestyle brand Flamingo Estate in 2020.

The project was shortlisted in the small retail interior category of Dezeen Awards 2021, and the duo then formalised their collaborative practice that works from product to architecture scale.

The photography is by Patcha.

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