nendo draws visitors into bangkok retail complex with 13 uniquely themed spaces

nendo design has completed a wide redevelopment plan, covering both interior and exterior layouts, as well as floors one to five of the siam discovery – a large-scale retail complex in bangkok, thailand. the existing building was deep with a narrow façade that resulted in poor flow for visitors entering through the front. to deal with the issue the many existing circular atriums scattered through the building were extended and joined up to create an elongated canyon-like space of over 58 m that draws customers into the back of the building. in addition, a wall consisting of a stack of 202 frame-shaped boxes with video monitors, digital signage and displays of merchandise inside them was installed along one side of the atrium, which plays the role of a directory for the whole store. the main wall also has the effect of drawing visitors to the upper floors since it extends up from the first to the fourth floor. by repositioning the escalators to run through the atrium and wall, the design also facilitates a smoother flow of visitors. 

the exterior of the siam discovery
all photographs courtesy of takumi ota

for the exterior design, nendo decided to open up the outside of the siam discovery as much as possible and so nendo design cleared away as much from the walls as structural constraints permitted with the aim of eliminating the previous sense of oppressiveness. however, since in bangkok it is important to alleviate the intense heat of the sun, the team created a double-skinned façade decorated with a pattern that reflects the stacked box installation in the atrium.

since the retail space was a hybrid between a shopping center and department store, nendo design worked on the environmental design not only for the common use areas, but also all for the self-curated retail space which comprises the majority of the site. rather than categorizing merchandise by brand the experience is organized around the theme of ‘lifestyle laboratory’. this aims at encouraging visitors to discover and enjoy a mixture of tastes and lifestyles, and to reflect this they designed motifs at 13 different locations around the sales floors that include laboratory equipment such as beakers, flasks, and test-tubes, and diagrams of molecular structures, nucleotide DNA sequences, microscopes and amoeba, smoke and bubbles to reflect this. 

furthermore, they blended the finishes on the floors and ceilings in the common areas and retail spaces in a graduated way which gives an impression that different materials are stirred together. in this way, they made a point of creating an atmosphere where people can feel relaxed and feel free to approach the stores. 

finally, nendo design created a character called ‘discovery man’ as the symbol for the retail complex. they wanted to make a character that expresses intellectual curiosity and creativity, so his head is a cube like those used throughout the design of the building and the top is slightly open as if something is always popping in and out. the character serves as a guide in the complex, and as one of the opening events 30 creative artists from thailand and across the rest of Asia were chosen to paint and customize them to decorate the space. 

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