Studiomake

Type: Bar Interior and Furniture
Service: Architect
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Area: 45 sqm
Year: 2009

Dude Cigar Bar maintains an uneasy relationship with its neighbors. Located next door to a busy Au Bon Pain and meters away from a brightly lit Boots pharmacy, there is plenty of context worth ignoring. In a very public, somewhat unlikely location we sought to create the exclusive feel of a speakeasy without being exclusionary. The front brick wall attempts to balance this task by presenting an imposing solid front, however it features a surface treatment that begs for closer inspection. Select bricks rotate in plan to allow a peak inside; a humidor is revealed, and glimpses of dark teak, hound’s tooth cloth and black leather start to reveal the nature of the place.

The name refers not only to the character of its clientele but is also a play on the Thai word ดูด. “Duut” means to suck, on an object, and here we are specifically talking about cigars. Once the brick wall draws you over and invites you around the corner, you are presented with a direct view to the humidor. Come on in and check out our Habanos.

Inside manly materials abound—wrinkle black powder coated steel brackets affix the shelves to the wall, support the long bench, and form the base of the small tables. The Dude logo delights in its manly iconography as it flexes and gloats from the furniture and hardware. The place is tiny, and that suits the owner just fine, he wanted a place to hang out with his friends, and if you want to come in and have a whisky or a cigar, then cool.

Photography: Nuntiya Busabong