As the Dusit Thani Group and Central Pattana prepare to unveil the Dusit Central Park Project, which comes with the concept Here for Bangkok—a large mixed-use project at the corner of Silom Road opposite Lumpini Park—it aims to transform the Silom area of Bangkok into a vibrant and lively hub. A new landmark that connects all lifestyles is set to emerge here. The project's blueprint indicates a trend in land and urban development that emphasizes modernity and convenience. This brings us to the insights of the leading design team, Architect A49, regarding the location and architectural design for this project.   

“If the secret to success for real estate developers is location, then the secret to success for designers and architects is to harmoniously align the design of buildings with the location, ensuring both are at the same level of growth and development, and are appreciated by the surrounding community.”

Mr. Somkiat Lohachindapong, Deputy Managing Director of Architect 49 Co., Ltd. (A49) 

 

       We are discussing the design blueprint of the Dusit Central Park under the Dusit Thani Group, which is moving forward with the development of a 23-rai plot at the corner of Silom Road, directly opposite Lumpini Park. Architect 49 Co., Ltd. is overseeing the architectural design of the four buildings, each representing different business types, with the entire project expected to be completed by 2024. 

“The key similarities of Bangkok's CBD, which is a potential business area, are locations that connect with the BTS and MRT lines and are situated at road intersections, such as Asoke-Sukhumvit and Silom-Rama IV. I consider these locations as traffic hubs that indicate the potential for urban and business growth. However, the uniqueness of the Silom corner, where Dusit Thani is located, also has an emotional aspect from the natural view of Lumpini Park directly across the street. We all know that there is no CBD location that combines both traffic and emotion like Silom.”  

       The Silom corner location has always been considered a high-end and luxury area, regardless of the era. Such a location is ideal for developing a five-star hotel. Dusit Thani recognizes this importance and is transforming itself towards that direction. This reflects the compatibility of urban development with global trends, where the business centers of major metropolitan areas worldwide are evolving. As the location develops, land developers and business owners must adapt accordingly; otherwise, the business or structures on that land will become outdated and unable to support the city's growth and economic momentum.

       The challenge for A49 is to design a group of buildings with a total construction area of over 400,000 square meters in the prime location of Silom Road, embodying the essence of luxury, modernity, uniqueness, and storytelling while preserving the beautiful cultural heritage from the past. This will be reflected in the appearance of the Dusit Central Park, which is expected to be recognized and remembered internationally as a new iconic landmark of Bangkok, attracting visitors from around the world. It will serve as both a tourist destination and a public space for the everyday lives of people, similar to how we admire and remember Singapore's Marina Bay Sands and New York's Hudson Yards.

 

       The architects' approach focuses primarily on the functionality of the space. The design concept for the large mixed-use buildings emphasizes usability as a key anchor. Once the layout is established based on the land size, the positions of each building are adjusted to ensure that all buildings have a clear view of Lumpini Park.

“For the hotel building, we need to integrate several key aspects: designing within a limited space, ensuring every guest room has a view of Lumpini Park. Even though it is a luxury five-star hotel situated among other tall buildings, it must stand out as if it were a standalone building. Most importantly, we must incorporate all elements of Dusit Thani's heritage into the new building. Therefore, we need to analyze every aspect in depth, including functionality, design, and finding inspiration from the original to create something new that fits the modern era.”

 

In this design blueprint, it can be seen that the entire area of Dusit Central Park is allocated for a four-level underground parking area and four large buildings representing four business types, including 

 

Dusit Thani Hotel

A 39-story building, up from the original 23 stories, designed to reflect the image of a five-star hotel, luxurious and distinctive even among other buildings. The architectural design retains the unique details that are considered a cultural heritage of Thailand from the original Dusit Thani, reflecting the essence of Bangkok. The design primarily maintains the form of the Phra Prang of Wat Arun, creating a spire above the building as before. The architectural structure of the new Dusit Thani hotel, while still inspired by the original, consists of three parts: the base, which includes the lobby, restaurant, and Napalai ballroom; and the top, which features a rooftop bar and the iconic spire of the Dusit Thani hotel, designed in the original shape but larger to proportionally fit the larger building. The original spire will be installed inside, with a new spire placed over it.

The design of the guest rooms prioritizes maximum privacy with larger room sizes, reducing the total number of rooms from 510 to just 259. At the same time, the design must meet modern international standards. Given its location directly opposite Lumpini Park, it presents a significant design challenge to ensure that all hotel rooms have a 100% view of the park. The new Dusit Thani hotel thus positions itself to perfectly capture the view of Lumpini Park.

 

Dusit Residences

Unveiling in the form of a 69-story high-rise building with a total of 389 units, situated in the location of the original Dusit Thani hotel. To address the need for maximum privacy, the residences are divided into two brands targeting two main customer groups: Dusit Residences, offering luxury living with units starting at 120 square meters, featuring private lift lobbies and various amenities for utmost privacy; and Dusit Parkside, with units starting at 65 square meters, targeting the younger high-end demographic seeking privacy and lifestyle.

“For the residences, the core concept is based on the challenge of ‘maximum privacy’ because this group of buildings targets the luxury and high-end market. Every unit must have a view of Lumpini Park. The building design will emphasize comfort, openness, and a connection to nature, ensuring that each unit has a clear view of the park without any obstructions. We aim to design the layout so that all units face Lumpini Park, allowing every room, whether living room or bedroom, to take in the natural views of the park.”

 

Office Building (Central Park Offices)

Standing 45 stories tall, located on Silom Road at the junction of the BTS and MRT, perfectly catering to business needs.

“For the office building, which is 45 stories high, the design challenge is to ensure that the building's location connects easily with public transportation. This corner location on Silom Road is a junction for the BTS at Sala Daeng Station and the MRT at Silom Station. This location provides a competitive advantage for office space leasing. Therefore, our design focuses on creating floor spaces that meet market demands, with layouts emphasizing functionality and modernity. Most importantly, nearly all office spaces will also have views of the natural beauty of Lumpini Park.”

 

Shopping Center (Central Park)

Designed as a low-rise building connected to the office building, featuring both underground and above-ground shopping areas to align with the transportation design along Silom Road, which is a junction for the BTS and MRT.

However, the essence of Dusit Central Park cannot truly embody its name without the significant feature of a large green space in the project. This design section is referred to as the Roof Park, a public park elevated above the ground, surrounded by the four buildings. This natural park spans an area of 7 rai, starting from the 4th floor of the shopping center and rising to the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors, which is expected to be a key highlight of the project, showcasing the optimal use of land for public benefit.

The Roof Park is conceived from the idea of connecting the views of Lumpini Park in a tiered manner. When viewed from the group of buildings, it appears as if one is on a hill. The natural boundaries allow for a seamless view from the Roof Park to Lumpini Park without any obstructions. Conversely, when viewed from Lumpini Park, the large green space appears as a small hill amidst the tall buildings in the city center.  

“This is the heart of the Dusit Central Park project. We designed the Roof Park to be a public space accessible to everyone, whether for exercise, running, cycling, or gathering for various activities such as hobbies, art exhibitions, music, etc. This will create a public space conducive to new lifestyle forms for urban dwellers.” 

Soon, the people of Bangkok will witness a new transformation taking shape as ‘Dusit Central Park,’ a mixed-use project that will revitalize the grandeur of the Silom CBD, shining brightly and challenging the world's gaze as the gateway to the new business center of Bangkok.  

 

Thank you for the information: Dusit Central Park Project