Groove Centre
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Groove Centre EN

Synthesis Design + Architecture

Groove Centre

Like other Asian cities, the chaos, traffic and congestion of Bangkok’s major thoroughfares disappear in the narrower, more intimate spaces of the nearby laneways, replaced by the smells of the street vendors’ goods and the hubbub of people. With the Groove, Synthesis Design + Architecture has merged these two urban spaces through a contemporary interpretation and transposition.
The project was conceived as an expansion of the Central World Shopping Center, one of the largest retail complexes in the world. Occupying two levels, the Groove adds an additional 4,000 square meters in retail spaces and 8,000 square meters of restaurants and bars.
The concept grew out of the contrast between the highly congested Ploenchit Road, one of the city’s main arteries, and the vibrant Thai soi – that is, the pedestrian laneways lined with restaurants and night clubs. The street front, which continues the line of the surrounding buildings, is broken up by narrow passages, whose size and proportions reflect the soi, that lead to an outdoor courtyard, where the energy of the Groove centre is focused.
Materials, lines and forms combine to create the distinctive identity of the Ploenchit Road façade, whose fluid lines take their cue from the uninterrupted flow of cars and pedestrians nearby. The backlit perforated aluminium panels that form the building skin are broken up by the timber lined openings of the entrances and terraces, which reveal what’s going on behind the veil of the building.
Reflecting the irregular and complex layout of urban public spaces, the passageways converge on a courtyard. Like in a street or square, the outdoor areas of restaurants, bars and clubs flow one after the other, the choice of an outdoor space offering a more authentic urban experience while also producing significant energy savings by eliminating the need for air-conditioning.
The architecture nevertheless takes into account Bangkok’s hot, humid climate, with the outdoor spaces protected from both sun and rain, with an open trellis roof that lets the air flow through the courtyard and a retractable canopy that provides additional protection from the elements. The use of plants and water in the design of the open spaces is not only aesthetic, but also contributes to keeping temperatures more comfortable.Although major building projects in Asian cities over past decades have frequently reflected Western practice, there has been a rediscovery of the great importance of local laneways as places for social interaction that contribute to quality of life.

Caterina Testa

Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Client: Central Pattana
Completion: 2013
Gross Floor Area: 12.000 m2
Architects: Synthesis Design + Architecture
Landscape Architects: Trop Design
Local Architects: A49 Architects, Foundry Space
Design Team: Alvin Huang, David O Wolthers, Filipa Valente, Chia-ching Yang, Behnaz Farahi, Timothy Harmon, Joseph Sarafian
Contractor: Kulsiri Chadrangsu - Ferrand

Consultants
Structural:
 Kulsiri Chadrangsu - Ferrand
Mechanical: MITR

Photography: © Polar Factory

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