jun ong & raphael cheng design conceptual fashion temple in bangkok

jun ong & raphael cheng design conceptual fashion temple in bangkok
all images courtesy of jun ong

the ‘fashion temple’ is a cultural concept to show appreciation towards vernacular fashion, arts and architecture. with an ambition to become the fashion capital of asia, bangkok, thailand was chosen as the best location to translate up-and-coming ideas into a robust and unique commerce industry. 

sectional

to imagine the structure, malaysian architect jun ong and hong kong-based fashion consultant raphael cheng combined two thai typologies, ‘wat’ and ‘sala’. the ideas are exact opposite; ‘wat’ meaning an enclosed place of information or worship, and ‘sala’ meaning an open shelter for teaching, learning and social interaction. when merged, they become a mechanism to establish program hierarchy, and are representative of two sides of the fashion industry. one, housing knowledge, craft and design. the other, leaning towards performances and exhibitions directed towards the public. 

a moveable platform doubles as a vertical runway

to work as an incubator, the designers established three ‘containers’ that promote and cultivate the thriving thai fashion scene: show, speculate, and shop. facing phloen chit road, a major retail hub, the ‘fashion temple’ inverts traditional retail frontage by bringing the work behind each atelier or garment, to the front. as a venue, it is able to ‘show’ various objects, host events, or transition to a curated gallery space. 

‘fashion temple’s’ lower level is an open shelter for education and social interaction

the fashion lab is where the avant-garde ideas mesh with traditional techniques in interactive studios, workshops, and multi-disciplinary forums. fresh ideas are born, developed, branded and then set out to test and ‘speculate’ upon. the hope is for the structure to be a real-world testing ‘shop’ for the city’s young designers. by bringing together ateliers and integrated digital technologies, established investors can weed-out and assist in the launch of high-quality brands and ideas. the design was awarded second place in the ‘bangkok I am fashion hub’ held by HMMD. 

transformable atrium space

concept diagrams 

floor plans 

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