Story :  Renford Davies   
Images : Sukhothai Bangkok, courtesy of HKRI   
Photography : Nakarin Banjerdjin
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Architect and designer Ed Tuttle is something of a puzzle. That is, until you actually meet him. Known for his elegant and liberating use of space, Tuttle has left an indelible mark on the luxury hospitality industry.  It was, then, with some surprise, that I learned this well traveled architect, with a whole range of sybaritic hotel designs under his belt, was emphatically private, and wasn’t keen to respond to anything that strayed beyond the realms of architecture and into his personal life.

"Volume is luxury" Ed Tuttle

I was even more stunned to find that my questions, submitted in advance to his liaison, had been carefully weeded for fear that Tuttle might take offence at my asking, if, for example, architecture had “interested him from an early age” – and by the way – “where did you spend most of your childhood?”

So what then of Tuttle the man, I thought? How could I find out what really makes him tick?

The Sanctum of Sukhothai

The big day finally came: an interview scheduled – very appropriately – to take place at The Sukhothai Bangkok. Designed by Tuttle, the hotel’s interior could best be described as his homage to the architecture of Thailand’s thirteenth century capital, Sukhothai – the birth place of the Lanna Kingdom, and according to Thai history, a golden and prosperous age. 

The first thing that strikes you about the hotel is the long leafy tree-lined drive. In fact The Sukhothai’s grounds are unique – an oasis of nature in what can only be described as a city business district like any other: drab, soaring concrete, 3-star hospitality, the towering Banyan Tree, City Bank and other sky scraping modernities.

However, all this is soon forgotten as you walk into the lobby where Ed’s genius comes alive. Interior teak, granite, ceramics and the finest of Thai fabrics – his use of materials absorbs a sense of the past – recalling palatial salons and grand pavilions of another age. Central to the lobby, the courtyard’s reflection pool mirrors five 13th-century stupa replicas bringing a real sense of serenity to the hotel’s core. It’s almost as if you are walking among the columns of a temple – an embodiment of peace and the passing of time.

Sizing Up

Ed Tuttle’s renewed involvement in the The Sukhothai Residences was the chief reason for my interview. Approached by the Hong Kong owners of The Sukhothai, HKRI, Tuttle was commissioned to design the interior of nine penthouses for their new project, The Sukhothai Residences. A 41 storey tower located behind the hotel, The Residences reunites Kerry Hill, architect of The Sukhothai, and Ed Tuttle’s exquisite interior creations.

We were to meet in the sales gallery of The Sukhothai Residences in the Sukhothai Gardens. After changing my shoes for a pair of soft silk slippers, I was ushered around the make-believe living spaces by a representative of HKRI. While the interiors of the show flats have not been designed by Ed, I was taken by the double ceiling space and their general roominess. Space was a key attraction in taking on The Sukhothai Residences,  Tuttle later told me. 

“Probably better if you can stick to the approved questions for Mr Tuttle,” my chaperone gently reminded me as the tour ended. I was beginning to wonder whether I might need a heavy suit of armor.

Ed casually bade his guests farewell. I was ushered to a simple table and my spirits were instantly lifted. So he wasn’t going to stare me down from a settee at the other end of the room. 

Instead he sat opposite me.

Meeting The Man

“You were born in the United States,” I ventured gingerly, “how did you get involved in design?”
“From childhood”, he answered curtly, as if the question was so blatantly obvious, I was a dummy to ask.
“Mmmmm, I thought that would be the case,” I mumbled… “what was it that interested you, I mean as a child? What got you involved?”

I cringed, but nothing happened. And from then on it was all good.

Impressions, Expressions

So what of the man? There is no doubt that  Tuttle is reserved and likes his privacy, but then who doesn’t? He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and when my questions seemed irrelevant he let me know.

As an artist, Tuttle needs the freedom to think, and to be boxed in by a journalist’s certain labeling, or a particular genre, is something he fights commendably to avoid.

For Ed, it would seem that space is the essence of freedom and the freedom to choose.

“Here at The Sukhothai, what’s important is that we have had the opportunity – the client – to develop good spaces, good volumes and that’s something very special and relatively rare. Even though Bangkok does have some very good spaces, I think generally speaking all of the [Residences] Penthouses are going to have incredible volumes – and that’s very unusual – volume is luxury,” Tuttle tells me.

Born in Seattle, Ed went to school at the University of Oregon and then later moved to San Francisco where he began a career in the “Design Studio” of Gump’s under the direction of Eleanor Forbes. By his own admission he is fond of both the East and West coasts of the central United States. One of his first, most vivid architectural memories is when, at the age of eight, he became obsessed in a new house his father was building.

“It took about a year to eighteen months to build that house and I remember after it was done, I measured it…I measured it all with a ruler and made my own plans of it,” he recalls with a smile.

Based in Paris for the last 30 years, Tuttle set up his company Design Realization in 1977. Since then he has gone on to work on such memorable projects as the Amankila in Bali and the Amanjiwo in Borubodur, and continues to design Aman resorts  throughout the world. He has also worked on Le Melezin Courchevel, Amangani in Wyoming, and Amanjena in Marrakech; quite a portfolio. He is also responsible for the interior architecture of the Park Hyatt, Paris-Vendôme and Milan.

A Thai Affair

In Thailand, his long-standing relationship with the luxurious Amanresorts began with the architectural consultation and design of the first Aman resort, the Amanpuri in Phuket. Shortly after completing his work here, he began on The Chedi, Phuket.

Ed is very particular about what constitutes a successful space. As a beach resort, the Amanpuri had to reflect its environment.
“The resort is extremely integrated – you are living in nature. It’s a different lifestyle than the city, so it changes the whole attitude. You live outdoors in Amanpuri – a very casual form of life, no matter how aesthetically sophisticated,” says Tuttle, who visits the resort regularly.

Back at The Sukhothai Residences in Bangkok, Ed’s love of openness has been restricted somewhat, but it has not dampened his enthusiasm for the project.

“The Residences has this incredible volume of space and light which contributes an enormous amount to the quality and luxury. You know, it seems like every century we lose 50 centimetres, but at The Residences we are dealing with 18th century space. It can be as simple and austere as you want, but the more volume you have, I think the better you feel,” says Tuttle.

So it seems there is something of a paradox in Ed Tuttle after all. He creates walls, not to keep us in, but to allow us to escape. His designs symbolize the preciousness of freedom, of nature, and in so doing, remind us that what we fear most is being tucked away, isolated and forgotten.

French philosopher Jean Jaques Rousseau once said: “Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” Ed Tuttle shows us what it still means to be free.