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

High-rise Construction | Jan 11, 2016

World’s second-tallest building (for now) is completed in China

Shanghai Tower makes up a trio of supertall buildings in that city’s commercial district.

High-rise Construction | Jan 7, 2016

Zaha Hadid designs a tower of 'stacked vases' in Melbourne

The structure is supported by sets of curved columns that taper to four different base heights.  

High-rise Construction | Jan 4, 2016

Top high-rise innovations of 2015

A crowdfunded skyscraper in Colombia and Jerusalem’s wild, pyramid-shaped tower are among the landmark projects featured in the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s annual yearend review.

High-rise Construction | Jan 4, 2016

Top tall building predictions for 2016

Jetpack-based firefighting, pixelated towers, and high-rise rentals are among the innovations and themes coming to the tall buildings market in 2016, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

High-rise Construction | Jan 4, 2016

Amid high-rise office building boom, Boston grapples with corporate signage rules

City has few skyscrapers adorned with lit company names, logos.  

High-rise Construction | Dec 18, 2015

Architect Mark Foster Gage proposes wildly ornate Gothic skyscraper for NYC

The 102-story tower, 41 West 57th Street, will have glass walls, balconies, and a carved stone façade.

High-rise Construction | Dec 8, 2015

Architect Eric Parry unveils design for London’s tallest building

At more than 1,000 feet, 1 Undershaft will rival The Shard in height.

High-rise Construction | Dec 8, 2015

Saudi Arabia secures funding for world’s first kilometer-tall skyscraper: Jeddah Tower

The tower will overtake the Burj Khalifa in terms of height, but how long will it remain king?  

High-rise Construction | Nov 28, 2015

Anorexic skyscrapers keep popping up in Manhattan

One project slated to begin construction next spring is designed to be only 47 feet wide.

High-rise Construction | Nov 23, 2015

London approves designs for a 62-story tower

Scheduled to start construction next year and open in 2019, the structure will be London’s second tallest, after the 95-story Shard.

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