Bangkok, Thailand
“The sculptural form of the new head office for the United Overseas Bank in Thailand responds to the needs of the organization from a multitude of angles,” said Rutger Huiberts, Kohn Pedersen Fox Project Manager.
“Besides offering a striking appearance within the cityscape of Bangkok, it provides a range of spatial conditions adjusted to each of the programmatic elements hosted within.”
This latest tower by American Prize for Architecture laureates KPF is situated on Sukhumvit road, one of Bangkok’s prime avenues in close proximity to Phrom Phong BTS station.
The design of the 59,000-square-meter office building prioritizes the well-being of the individual worker while catering to the needs of the larger organization, combining intimate-scale office suites in a slender tower with a series of large-scale spaces in a low-rise pavilion.
The building is set back from the street wall to form a large green public plaza.
The tower’s faceted form follows Bangkok’s two sky planes to allow daylight to reach street level, while a side core at the southwest corner shelters the spaces from excessive solar heat gain.
The façades take advantage of their northern exposure, maximizing natural light and skyline views while maintaining occupant comfort and efficient energy performance.
A transparent banking hall catering to customer services fronts the plaza and offers a welcoming presence.
Following this sequence of public spaces, an intimate set of outdoor areas lead to the office lobbies and a lushly landscaped garden at the back of the site.
The design anticipates the organizational needs of UOB and its employees.
Flexible workspaces that foster activity-based production complement larger spaces for assembly, education, training, and collaboration.
Exterior terraces are provided at various floors of the tower.
“Larger floors at the base foster internal team-building, promote collaboration, and offer organizational flexibility,” continues Huiberts.
“The smaller floor plates towards the higher zones of the tower offer the best access to daylight and fresh air, and are suited for more intimately scaled working activities, promoting a workspace that combines productivity with personal well-being.”
“The base also contains dedicated spaces for training, convening, as well as public events.”
The scheme is designed to achieve Greenmark Platinum energy performance certification.
“We’re really proud to celebrate the topping out of our latest project in Bangkok, UOB Thailand’s new head office,” said Forth Bagley, KPF Managing Principal.
“We are honored to contribute another project to Bangkok’s urban fabric.”
“This new building will be a worthy home for UOB, who have been great collaborators on this project. We congratulate them and the entire consultant team on this important milestone.”
“We are honored to contribute another project to Bangkok’s urban fabric,” states Forth Bagley, KPF Managing Principal.
The project is slated to complete in 2022.
Project: United Overseas Bank Head Office
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Client: United Overseas Bank
