Skyscrapers: Maha Nakhon by Ole Scheeren, Bangkok, Thailand

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Photo of maha nakhon as seen from the air with Bangkok in the background

Skyscrapers: Maha Nakhon by Ole Scheeren, Bangkok, Thailand
© OMA/Seventh Art/Crystal CG

Maha Nakhon, designed by Ole Scheeren is a new 77-story high-rise complex under construction located on a 3.6 acre site in the heart of Bangkok's Central Business District. This 310m (1017ft) tall mixed-use skyscraper inspired by the pixels will be home of Ritz-Carlton hotel in collaboration with Marriot International and Ian Schrager; restaurants, cafes, 24-hour marketplace and a rooftop Sky Bar and restaurant.

"With its distinctive sculptural appearance, MahaNakhon has been carefully carved to introduce a three-dimentional ribbon of architectural 'pixel' that circle the tower's full height, as if excavating portions of the elegant glass curtain wall to reveal the inner life of the building - metaphorically and actually - an architecture that encloses and protects its inhabitants while revealing the inner life of their city. The pixelation gives MahaNakhon an arresting profile on the skyline while generating a set of very special features to house the diverse functions of the building complex in an intelligently strategic way.

The design for MahaNakhon dismantles the typical tower and podium typology to render not a tower in isolation but instead a skyscraper that melds with the city by gradually 'dissolving' the mass as it moves vertically between ground and sky. This effect begins with a series of generous cascading indoor/outdoor terraces at The Hill - the area at the tower's base housing luxury retail and dining.

MahaNakhon also features an adjacent freestanding building known as the Cube, with multi-level indoor/outdoor terrraces corresponding to those of the Hill Terraces across the expanse of outdoor atrium. Offering a network of social spaces with an extensive mix of dining and leisure, described collectively as MahaNakhon Terraces.

MahaNakhon Square, located in front of the tower is intimately connected to the space between The Hill and Cube. This dynamic public plaza intended as a meeting place, a spot for planned and spontaneous cultural events will be a landscape retreat for the city's inhabitants, a gathering place, a rare venue for cultural and social interactivity.

For residents of MahaNakhon, The Ritz-Carlton Residences comprise a mix of two-to-five bedroom homes with expansive panoramic views and interiors by David Collins Studio, while The Bangkok Edition Hotel, a collaboration between Ian Schrager and Marriot International, will offer a range of outstanding amenities.

The top of the tower houses a multi-level three-floor Terrace Bar & Restaurant with dramatic double-height spaces, private dining facilities for entertaining, and a rooftop outdoor bar with sweeping 360° views of the skyline and river, floating 310 meters above the city."
-Maha Nakhon