LIT Bangkok / VaSLab Architecture

Nov 2011

Uploaded by Megan Jett — Filed under: Featured ,Hotels and Restaurants ,Selected , Bangkok, Thailand, VaSLab Architecture

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Architects: VaSLab Architecture
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Client: Star Hotel
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 7,000 sqm
Photographs: Spaceshift Studio

Being a stranger, out of place or being alienated, is a state of mind when one is away from home. It is neither a familiar place nor an everyday life environment that one is used to. Especially, in a city full of complexity; different nationalities, cultures, or even architecture, that might cause us that feeling.

Floor Plan

LIT Bangkok is located in such a complex area of diversities and program contradictions, with 200 meters away from sky-train, a block away from art museum and shopping centers, the site is surrounded by shop houses, back-packer hotels, and also street vendors. Designed by VaSLab Architecture, LIT Bangkok seeks to articulate architectural space that coexists with the ability to attract passersby but yet seclude itself away from its outer chaos as to enclose them again with warmth and comfort. The L-shape of 79-room hotel consists of swimming pool, spa, fitness, steam room, restaurant & bar, and function room, altogether with the two-layer of green space, created to attract passersby. The ground level access leads to the hotel’s reception with the inner view of sunken court, visually connected by full height glass lobby. The court is enclosed by a fitness room, a steam, and a spa that sits below the elevated swimming pool. While the front green steps take the users up to the plaza level hosted by the outdoor dining space then fluctuates into the indoor restaurant via a sculptural bridge.

The creation of these introverted spaces with a restricted sight to outside surroundings is inspired by the metaphor of a bride veil, “a detached façade”. This façade acts like a screen for the accommodation floors level 3 – 7, as to create the ability to concentrate more on the hotel’s inner sceneries; green plaza, sunken court, swimming pool, façade lighting, etc., than focusing on the surrounded areas of old shop houses. The façade’s pattern design is made of a series of parallelogram aluminum composite module, laser-cut to create the variations of 4 different void sizes. The overall façade composition represents the dynamic folding mask with patterned punctures that gives a various amount of light and different degrees of sight outside-in and inside-out.

Elevation

Also influenced by a long fought history of the close-by Bangkok Art and Cultural Center – BACC (its site almost gave away to another department store), LIT is destined to be perceived as another district’s artwork, where it convinces that the world of commercials may be dimmed and merged with the more of art & design realm. Like a candle “lit” in the district, where art and comfort could well blend together, yet charming enough to attract the interests of any strangers in this small metropolis.

Text provided by VaSLab Architecture

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: © Spaceshift Studio

: Floor Plan

: Floor Plan

: Floor Plan

: Elevation

: Elevation

: Elevation

: Elevation

: Section

* Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.

Cite:
Jett , Megan . "LIT Bangkok / VaSLab Architecture" 27 Nov 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 25 May 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/187269>

Comments (8)
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desa says:

This is just trying too hard. It’s got every conceivable language under the sun trying to be “cool”… try hard wannabe, Boooo! Stop copying and come up with more original stuff.

# November 27, 2011 at 05:58

dean says:

form follow “i want it to be like zaha”

# November 27, 2011 at 09:09

H-J says:

It’s like the lovechild of Thom Mayne and Zaha Hadid that has been raised by a pack of architecture students.

# November 27, 2011 at 10:35

JayM says:

I like how the vegetation is integrated into the deck. Also the forms and spaces look interesting to me.

I think it’s funny that most of the criticisms here have something to do with Zaha Hadid: people either criticize Hadid’s work or call others Zaha copycats.

# November 27, 2011 at 11:24

Hazem B. says:

this piece is just as original as any of Hadid’s work. All ranting aside, i kinda like this piece for what it is, simple and rather integral in terms of functionality and also it’s quite interesting and aesthetically appealing…

# November 28, 2011 at 11:28

phu says: