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

| Mar 26, 2012

McCarthy tops off Math and Science Building at San Diego Mesa College

Designed by Architects | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker, the new San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building will provide new educational space for students pursuing degree and certificate programs in biology, chemistry, physical sciences and mathematics.

| Mar 16, 2012

Temporary fix to CityCenter's Harmon would cost $2 million, contractor says

By contrast, CityCenter half-owner and developer MGM Resorts International determined last year that the Harmon would collapse in a strong quake and can't be fixed in an economical way. It favors implosion at a cost of $30 million.

| Mar 14, 2012

Hearing to decide fate of unfinished Harmon in Las Vegas under way

The testimony began with CityCenter consulting engineer Chukwuma Ekwueme methodically showing photo after photo of parts of the Harmon, where he and his team had chipped away the concrete pillars and beams to examine the steel reinforcing bars inside.

| Mar 14, 2012

Plans for San Francisco's tallest building revamped

The glassy white high-rise would be 60 stories and 1,070 feet tall with an entrance at First and Mission streets.

| Mar 13, 2012

China's high-speed building boom

A 30-story hotel in Changsha went up in two weeks. Some question the safety in that, but the builder defends its methods.

| Mar 12, 2012

Improving the performance of existing commercial buildings: the chemistry of sustainable construction

Retrofitting our existing commercial buildings is one of the key steps to overcoming the economic and environmental challenges we face.

| Feb 14, 2012

Thornton Tomasetti names Al Hashimi vice president for its Middle East Operations

Al Hashimi is joining the company to help expand Thornton Tomasetti’s business in the region and support clients locally.

| Feb 8, 2012

World’s tallest solar PV-installation

The solar array is at the elevation of 737 feet, making the building the tallest in the world with a solar PV-installation on its roof.

| Jan 30, 2012

Hollister Construction Services to renovate 30 Montgomery Street in Jersey City, N.J.

Owner Onyx Equities hires firm to oversee comprehensive upgrades of office building.

| Jan 16, 2012

Mid-Continent Tower wins 25 Year Award from AIA Eastern Oklahoma

Designed by Dewberry, iconic tower defines Tulsa’s skyline.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.


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