This PTT Gas Station had been in service more than 60 years and its last renovation was 20 years ago. The station located on site of an old canal route that connected Lopburi River in its north side and Chao Phraya River in its south side. Trace of the canal had been found at Wat Rajapradit Sathan. An important historical architecture found in the area was Pratu Khao Pluak Fortress, which was one of the remaining original forts that guarded the city of Ayuttaya. The fortress consisted of beautiful exposed brick walls with an arched watergate. The components of the watergate were used for design concept of Café Amazon to reflect on history and how it influenced the present.

As the station located in Ayutthaya Historical Park, which had been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, underground structure was prohibited by law to protect unnecessary damages to historic buildings and monuments that might be hidden underground. The buildings were built on concrete ground, which could carry a load of 3 tones per square-meter. The buildings designed with lightweight structures and the concept of local identity in the context of Ayutthaya Historical Park.

A former car wash building was replaced by Café Amazon. The café used steel structure with lightweight materials to make sure that the design loads were not exceed load capacity of existing concrete floor. Earth bricks made of local materials were used to represent elements that contribute to surrounding local identity of remains of ancient brick walls in Ayutthaya Historical Park.

Café Amazon was elevated 0.70 meter above the ground. The entrance consisted of exposed brick stepped wall with stairs built-in. The narrow space between walls led the eyes to the archway at the end of the staircase where the café terrace located. The archway also used for the front façade of the café to integrate with the main design concept. The exposed brick wall around the restroom area was used as a divider to hide the restroom from the café and to make the spaces blending into a harmonious whole.

The design of petrol filling station adapted the recess design of historical architecture with new materials. For example, folded aluminum claddings were used for the roof façade in replication of a recessed pagoda and used for roof posts to reduce the scale and to mimic a post in the ordination hall of a temple. The recess design was also used for the ceiling lights and logo of PTT for a highway sign.

Another component of an historical architecture was a lantern archway in a temple wall, which used in the design of the staircase walls of the café. Long and narrow vertical openings in the wall of a temple were used for the wall of the building. Water ripple design was used on the street paving pattern to symbolize the river and the old canal.

In term of roofing material, a modern lightweight material such as metal sheets were used to provide heat-reflecting properties, which helped reducing temperature, heat and energy consumption in the café’, restroom and petrol filling station.