The MahaNakhon skyscraper in Bangkok was commissioned in 2016 and has become the architectural landmark of the business silom district. It is the tallest building in the country, with a height of 314 meters, surpassing the Baiyoke Sky Tower by 10 meters in roof level. And only the tip of the spire of the latter, which is at a level of 328 meters, gives it the right to challenge the championship. According to different sources, the construction cost from 515 to 640 million dollars.
MahaNakhon is a building complex consisting of a 77-story tall tower and a seven-story cube-shaped extension. It combines a residential building (209 apartments), a 10,000-square-meter shopping and entertainment center and restaurant, and a 159-room hotel (The Edition Boutique Hotel). The area where it was built, one of the most expensive in Bangkok. Apartments in the skyscraper cost from one to seventeen million dollars.
The creator of MahaNakhon (Thai for “Megapolis”) is architect Ole Scheeren from Germany, who originally worked at OMA under Rem Koolhaas. In 2010 he set up his own architectural firm, Büro Ole Scheeren. Ole Scheeren stands out from his workshop by his unfailing desire for innovative experimentation; in his projects, form and function argue and complement each other at the same time. He designed the Ankasa Raya skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, the Duo twin skyscrapers and the Interlace housing estate in Singapore. As well as the Central Television building complex in China and the Taipei Arts Center in Taiwan. Some of them have already been realized.
The appearance of the MahaNakhon tower is very unusual, there is still no consensus among the inhabitants of the Thai capital about it. While some strongly dislike it, others are fascinated by its conception, which means there is no other skyscraper like it in the world.
The MahaNakhon skyscraper lacks the massive pedestal that was common to high-rise buildings constructed before the early 21st century. Its base seems to vanish into the surrounding development. But that’s not what makes its look so unusual. From the foot to the top of the square tower is enveloped in a spiral, which destroys the integrity of the polished glass facade and creates a unique relief, which, according to the architects, looks like a break in the rock. Others see it as the bed of a turbulent mountain stream. Fans of virtual reality and Hi-Tech style see pixels knocked out in it, as if MahaNakhon Tower in Bangkok was attacked by aliens from the comedy Pixels. In general, the author’s imagination gave food for thought and debate that will last for decades to come. And for the hotel’s residents and guests, this architectural extravagance was a bonus: the base for the balconies and galleries that provide unforgettable views of Bangkok.
The architect has attributed the shape of the facade to his concept that it opens up the tower’s inhabitants to the outside world and makes it easier for them to engage with it. He believes that when the residents get used to their apartments and decorate the balconies, the MakaNakhon Tower in Bangkok will have a finished look, since all the sharp edges of the pixels will be smoothed out, which will make the structure more lively and even spiritual.
The living space of the MahaNakhon Tower, which didn’t fall into the so-called pixelation zone, is planned quite standard, with most of the apartments having two levels. Their balcony windows fold inward and upward, giving residents access to an immense expanse of space. According to the author of the project, this is what keeps the mental connection between the inhabitants of the skyscraper and Bangkok.
The MakaNakhon skyscraper in Bangkok was under construction from 2011 to 2016. During that time, the country experienced two revolutions, a military coup and a flood. That is why it cannot be considered just a building, just a skyscraper, even if it is magnificent and unusual in appearance, erected in a bold experiment. For its author and for the majority of Thai people it is a real pride, a kind of symbol of the country’s entering a new stage of development, its confident progress and readiness to overcome any difficulties on its way.
Today the MahaNakhon skyscraper in Bangkok is a symbol of the architect’s audacious creativity, one of the architectural landmarks of Thailand’s capital, and even a source of national pride. But it will soon pass the palm to the Magnolias Waterfront Residences skyscraper, which is now being completed and is a meter taller than it. And Rama IX, the tallest building in all of Southeast Asia, with a projected height of 615 meters, is just around the corner.
MahaNakhon Skyscraper on a Map of BangkokThe MahaNakhon Skyscraper in Bangkok
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