[Embracing the Landscape] Reminiscence of urban memories

“Reminiscence of urban memory” is of central importance to the project concept. As it stands among the endless clusters of high-rise buildings packed along the road in downtown Bangkok, the project sowed the seeds from history to revitalize the memories of the arrival of the radio in the city with a simple approach.

Situated on Wireless Road, the Indigo Hotel is full of historical memories. The main road was built during the reign of King Rama VI which cut through Thailand’s first wireless telegraph station, which later on the road was named after. With its shady footpath, the wireless road lies numbers of office buildings and embassies which have green open spaces connected with the public landscape as well. Based on the concept ‘Nostalgia,’ the landscape design took shape to come up with a reinterpretation of the stories of this road. The intriguing characters of the wireless telegraph were combined with the classic and stylish aspects of that era. The proximity to the sky train station and the limited size of the plot – 1,700 square meters of overall space – define a crucial role for the landscape design to perform. It rolls out an inviting gesture to attract passing pedestrians’ eyes to enter the hotel at their comfort without interfering roadway.

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The desired concept established a direct connection between the hotel and the road. It also defines a  charming atmosphere and a unique identity for hotel lobby and guest rooms. Extending its branches at the front, the big and beautiful Ficus Benjamina L. was attached to the deteriorated existing concrete wall. After the design team realized its value and attempted to keep both of them in a whole to conform to the concept ‘ Nostalgia.’  During the preservation process, the wall was carefully treated and adjusted in a way that the best chances of survival are possible, later on they have become the important gimmick for the hotel landscape.

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As the concept ‘ Nostalgia ’ is to bring back histories and charms of the age of wireless telegraph, Morse code, lines of radio waves, and equalizer physical characters, all of these were also used to realize the memorable landscape features. Together with the well-tuned direction between architecture and interior architecture concept, the collaboration surely makes the Indigo hotel unique, bold and undeniably intriguing.

 

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