flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Bangkok’s tallest tower is also one of its most unique

High-rise Construction

Bangkok’s tallest tower is also one of its most unique

At 1,030 feet tall, MahaNakhon Tower’s height is only outdone by its arresting design.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | September 12, 2016

Image courtesy of OMA/Ole Scheeren

Construction on The MahaNakhon Tower, Bangkok’s tallest building, may have recently been completed, but for anyone looking at the massive skyscraper, they may be left wondering, has that building finished downloading?

A unique façade of spiraling cube-shaped balconies provides the building with its eye-catching look, one that brings a pixelated aesthetic into the real world. The 1,030-foot building is the work of Büro Ole Scheeren, an international architecture firm with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Bangkok, and Berlin.

The building’s design, according to architect Ole Scheeren, is meant to reflect the city in which it resides. In an interview with CNN, Scheeren says, “MahaNakhon is a vision of a tower that is very much about process, about becoming, about developing." And the building certainly captures that idea, as, even in its completed form, it seems unfinished and still in the building process, as if you will blink and upon opening your eyes, the jagged building will have completed its rendering process and appear crisp and clear on the Bangkok skyline.

Oddly enough, however, it is the fictional version of the “completed” MahaNakhon Tower that would appear out of place. Currently, the building fits right in with the other futuristic and architecturally unique buildings comprised in the Bangkok skyline (such as one meant to resemble a robot and another meant to mimic the appearance of an elephant).

The mixed-use building includes retail space, a hotel, and 200 condo units that are under the management of Ritz-Carlton Residences.

 

Photo courtesy of Kyle Hasegawa, Wikimedia Creative Commons

Related Stories

| Dec 17, 2014

11 predictions for high-rise construction in 2015

In its annual forecast, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat predicts that 2015 will be the "Year of the Woodscraper," and that New York’s troubled B2 modular high-rise project will get back on track.

| Dec 16, 2014

'Wedding dress' tower to be tallest in Africa

The $1 billion tower will have 114 stories, alluding to the 114 chapters of the Koran.

| Dec 16, 2014

Architect Eli Attia sues Google over tall building technology

Attia and tech company Max Sound Corp. have brought a lawsuit against Google because of Flux, a Google X-developed startup launched in 2014. Flux creates software to design environmentally-friendly buildings in a cost-effective way.

| Dec 12, 2014

SOM names winner of One World Trade Center photo contest

Gerry Padden's winning photo offers a striking juxtaposition of the Brooklyn Bridge with the sparkling One World Trade Center tower. 

| Dec 4, 2014

10 tallest buildings to be completed in 2015

This year has seen the completion of many signature tall buildings, including the One World Trade Center. CNN reports that 2015 promises to be another busy year for skyscraper construction across the globe. 

High-rise Construction | Dec 1, 2014

ThyssenKrupp develops world’s first rope-free elevator system

ThyssenKrupp's latest offering, named MULTI, will allow several cabins in the same shaft to move vertically and horizontally.

| Nov 29, 2014

20 tallest towers that were never completed

Remember the Chicago Spire? What about Russia Tower? These are two of the tallest building projects that were started, but never completed, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The CTBUH Research team offers a roundup of the top 20 stalled skyscrapers across the globe.

| Nov 24, 2014

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed crystalline tower breaks ground in southwestern China

Fitted with an LED façade, the 468-meter Greenland Tower Chengdu will act as a light sculpture for the city of Chengdu.

| Nov 24, 2014

OMA morphs Miami condo tower development plan

Initially, the design included six slim towers to be set on the Miami shoreline, but the cylinders have been nudged into pairs to form three larger towers. 

| Nov 11, 2014

Renzo Piano's third building at London Bridge Quarter approved, will be built adjacent to the Shard

Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been granted planning approval for its residential building at London Bridge Quarter—a 26-story apartment tower dubbed Feilden House.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021