Architects: VaSLab Architecture
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Spaceshift Studio
The project site is located on Praditmanutham Road in Ladprao, Bangkok, Thailand. This new Bangkok vessel has brought in many low-rise commercial projects for recreation and leisure to the neighborhood. The the main sculptural concrete forms were inspired by the motorcycle’s “hugging the curve” transition, which represents the winning moment of racing motorcycles on the racing track. Two boomerang shapes engaged one another in plans and sections. The first one vectors its circulation from main entry through café at ground level, then elevates to showroom, retails, education zone, and descends to warehouse. The other directs its path from mezzanine lounge/conference, then descends via offices and canteen at first level, service center and workshop at ground level.
With the use of cast-in-place concrete as the architecture’s main element, the building’s masculine finishes flows from exterior to interior spaces presenting a continuos surfaces throughout the building. The fluid interior circulation is designed to follow the same dynamic characteristic of its outer shell.
One of Honda’s campaigns, “Honda Think Earth”, becomes another aspect of this building’s design criteria. The use of concrete, as eco-friendly and sustainable material, is applied throughout the project. Since Bangkok is known for its hot and humid climate, bare concrete texture is preferred over the typical paint-on-concrete texture which needs to be repainted every three years Bare concrete texture with environmentally friendly clear silicone-base coating endures the weather up to ten years.
The first level showroom is elevated not only for a better view but also for preventing the ground level’s direct humidity. This design aspect also helps the building’s energy savings on an air-conditioning system. Near the showroom’s entrance, a solar cell is installed at the outdoor foyer, which produces electricity for most of the building’s exterior lighting. Honda Big Wing might be just another building with completes the function requirements of its owner; however, this architecture proves that it’s not just a building, but a structure composed with poetic space, form and art. Not only the design is functional, but the meaning of its corporate identity is well represented.
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- Site Plan
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- Section
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- Floor Plan
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- Sketch
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- Floor Plan
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- Floor Plan
Zaha Hadid anybody?
Pathetic Comment
It does look like zaha’s work but anyway it looks great, congrats!!!
This couldn’t have been more Zaha, they probably couldn’t afford the real deal.
A building that Hadid could have designed 10+ years ago but never got built, so good for them to revisit Hadid in her imho most interesting=pre-blob period, beautiful homage. VaSlab should fix their website though, my antivirus refused me to take a peek.
is it a motorcycle shop? Did I miss the program explaination… I read the thing twice.
Cheap version of Zaha Hadid
Weird mix of Zaha’s streamlines and Libeskind’s corners… Weird.
this is a nice project. It doesnt look like a cheap Zaha. There are similarities, but some of the details look more authentic than Zaha… Like Zaha’s car factory being fake canitlevers and fake cars on the production line moving through….
This just looks like and exciting space for its apprent purpose.
“but some of the details look more authentic than Zaha” what is this really mean????
lautner has done a soaring concrete form long before zaha.
Exactly.
typical student project
Another daft comment.