Image courtesy of Nendo

Shopping centre in Bangkok by Nendo

A complete redevelopment plan, covering both interior and exterior design, for floors one to five of “Siam Discovery” a large-scale retail complex in Bangkok, Thailand. Since the existing building was deep with a narrow frontage resulting in a poor flow of visitors at the front, the many existing circular atriums dotted through the building have been extended and joined up to create an elongated canyon-like space of over 58m that draws visitors into the back of the building. A wall consisting of a stack of 202 frame-shaped boxes with video monitors, digital signage and displays of merchandise inside them has been installed along one side of the atrium, and this plays the role of a directory for the whole store.

Image courtesy of Nendo

For the exterior design, it was decided to open up the outside as much as possible and so we cleared away as much from the walls as structural constraints permitted with the aim of eliminating the previous sense of oppressiveness. However, since in Bangkok it is important to alleviate the intense heat of the sun, we created a double-skinned facade decorated with a pattern that reflects the “stacked box” installation in the atrium. Rather than categorizing merchandise by brand the experience is organized around the theme of “Lifestyle Laboratory”. This aims at encouraging visitors to discover and enjoy a mixture of tastes and lifestyles, and to reflect this we designed motifs at 13 different locations around the sales floors.

Image courtesy of Nendo

The floors include laboratory equipment such as beakers, flasks, and test-tubes, and diagrams of molecular structures, nucleotide DNA sequences, microscopes and amoeba, smoke and bubbles to reflect this. Furthermore, we blended the finishes on the floors and ceilings in the common areas and retail spaces in a graduated way which gives an impression that different materials are stirred together. In this way, we made a point of creating an atmosphere where people can feel relaxed and feel free to approach the stores. 

more. nendo.jp