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Thailand’s $3.9bn One Bangkok zone to set “new benchmarks” in smart-city living

Detail of the design of Thailand’s new real-estate mega development, One Bangkok, has been revealed for the first time. The $3.9 billion project, billed as the country’s largest ever private sector real-estate initiative, will set “new benchmarks in design, smart-city living and sustainability,” its sponsors claim.

A joint venture between Thailand-based real-estate investment company TCC Assets and Singapore-based property management company Frasers Property Holdings, One Bangkok is intended as an integrated smart district, comprising offices, retail, luxury hotels, residences, as well as cultural and social spaces.

It is akin to the new $7.5 billion Bleutech Park development in Las Vegas, and will comprise five office towers, five luxury and lifestyle hotels, three ultra-luxury residential towers, and a range of retail precincts.

TCC Assets and Frasers Property Holdings will jointly develop 16.7 hectares in the heart of Bangkok. They propose four precincts and five towers centred around a 10,000 square metre civic plaza. Retail and ‘lifestyle’ elements will connect across the lower levels of these precincts, and towers for working and living will feature above.

The 430-metre Signature Tower, housing office spaces and a super luxury hotel, will be one of (10) tallest buildings in Southeast Asia.

The entire district is to be enabled by a “smart centralised infrastructure system”, featuring district cooling, and security, water, and energy management systems. These will be overseen by a central data centre and 250,000 smart IoT sensors, enabling facility management and preventive maintenance.

The site will be home to 500 companies and 50,000 employees, its sponsors reckon. Piling works were completed in June; the site will open in phases, with some parts opening in 2023 and the full site spated for 2026.

TCC Assets and Frasers Property Holdings are designed the site to receive a leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) rating.

Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, group chief executive at Frasers Property, said the new development will “reshape and redefine Bangkok’s urban landscape”. He said: “Our ambition is to build sustainable developments that improve quality of life and are part of the fabric of the community…. One Bangkok is an offering worthy of what Thailand’s capital can deliver on the world stage.”

He added: “We are designing in a way that prioritizes ‘the right thing to do’ in terms of urban planning. One Bangkok’s development philosophy is centred on diversity of uses and architecture, overlaid with sustainability principles. It will be sensitive to the local social and cultural context, incorporating Thailand’s heritage and aspects that are unique to Bangkok.”

Su Lin Soon, chief executive for development at One Bangkok, said: “The district is peppered with activated public spaces, and we expect the synergy from this mix of uses will create an exceptional destination capable of attracting top-level organisations and a place tourists and localswill want to return to.”

She added: “Accessibility, connectivity, and sustainability are top priorities in our urban planning…. One Bangkok will also be the first district in Thailand to be built entirely around sustainability principles.

“A smart common infrastructure is being planned. It will include features such as district cooling, fully-centralized security, and energy management systems, designed to international standards for sustainable long-term business operations, future growth, efficiency and resiliency for the entire district. This common infrastructure is also future-proof, with pioneering ‘smart city’ and business solutions that will enhance the experience of users in all components.”

ABOUT AUTHOR

James Blackman
James Blackman
James Blackman has been writing about the technology and telecoms sectors for over a decade. He has edited and contributed to a number of European news outlets and trade titles. He has also worked at telecoms company Huawei, leading media activity for its devices business in Western Europe. He is based in London.