Thomas Heatherwick認為泰國的傳統(tǒng)建筑文化底蘊深厚,但是曼谷城市中的新建現(xiàn)代建筑卻形式單一,并沒有傳承其文化底蘊。所以,Heatherwick建筑事務所將本項目中的建筑設計融入泰國本土傳統(tǒng)文化,實現(xiàn)古與今的對話,為該城市重新注入活力。
Heatherwick Studio reveals the design for Hatai, a mixed-use development in Bangkok, marking the firm’s first project in Thailand. Situated on the site of the original Narai Hotel in the city’s Silom neighborhood, the scheme integrates two new hotels with a public plaza, canal restoration, and open-air community programs.
The architecture draws from the material and symbolic qualities of traditional Thai lanterns. Vertical structures are conceived as stacked volumes, their surfaces textured and articulated to diffuse light and soften the development’s silhouette against the city’s sharp commercial skyline. The composition introduces a layered rhythm that contrasts the blank, repetitive facades common in the area.
‘There’s a richness to Thailand’s culture and historic architecture, but the anonymous, blank severity of many so-called modern buildings in Bangkok does not speak to this at all,’ Thomas Heatherwick explains. ‘We wanted to do something that connects with the country’s heritage in a deeper way and builds detail, feeling and story back into the city.’
Hatai will house both a new Narai Hotel and a Six Senses hotel, totaling over 300 guest rooms. Amenities include a wellness center, ballroom, and conference facilities. The upper volumes are designed to appear light and luminous, while the lower levels are rooted in a denser program of activity that ties into the surrounding street life.
At ground level, the design by Heatherwick Studio prioritizes public access and engagement in Bangkok, Thailand. The open plaza is shaded by a wide canopy structure and interspersed with native planting to create a more temperate microclimate within the dense urban setting. A once-buried canal is set to be restored, reintroducing flowing water into the landscape and offering a contemplative counterpoint to the city’s pace.
Additional elements in the public realm will include a shrine, event space, children’s nursery, and a traditional open-air market. These programs reflect the studio’s intent to embed civic infrastructure within the development, allowing it to serve as more than a hospitality project.
▲ 該項目的設計靈感來源于傳統(tǒng)的泰國燈籠,主要借鑒其工藝美和光影效果
the architecture is inspired by the craft and glow of traditional Thai lanterns
Thomas Heatherwick解釋說在事務所接到這一項目委托時,便對泰國的傳統(tǒng)建筑和文化進行了研究,目的是改變該城市日益同質(zhì)化的現(xiàn)代建筑形式,為人們提供一種新的建筑建造形式。Hatai項目的建造形式借鑒了當?shù)貍鹘y(tǒng)的手工藝,并在此基礎上加入現(xiàn)代的建造技術(shù),使建筑在滿足復雜功能需求的同時,還能對傳統(tǒng)手工藝進行另一種形式的傳承。
According to Thomas Heatherwick, the studio approaches the commission with sensitivity to Thailand’s architectural heritage, aiming to offer an alternative to the region’s increasingly homogenous high-rise developments. The design of Hatai is shaped by local craft traditions while incorporating new construction methods to support complex mixed-use functions.
A network of elevated walkways will further integrate the site into the surrounding neighborhood, improving pedestrian movement and offering shaded paths between buildings. With 5,200 square meters of new public space, the project is framed as both an architectural gesture and an urban intervention. Hatai is currently under development and is expected to open in 2028.
▲ 建筑外觀為多個方形體塊疊加而成,外表面安裝有燈管可發(fā)光,邊角為弧形,柔化了建筑整體外觀,也柔化了曼谷城市的天際線
a stacked composition of illuminated forms softens the outline of the Bangkok skyline
▲ 場地內(nèi)設計有公共活動廣場,其中種植有本土植物,豐富了廣場的景觀,設計師還將被填埋的運河重新修復,為場地內(nèi)添加水景
the ground level features a green public plaza with native planting and a restored canal