HOTEL REVIEW


THIS PAGE: A living area in one of the hotel’s loft suites


architecture,” comments Chayavichitsilp. In a city not commonly associated with


innovative hotel exteriors, the eye-catching Hansar tower bucks the trend. Wong Mun Summ, Founding Director of WOHA, shares his inspiration for the compact site: “We wanted a refined structure, not something brash and loud. Referencing the early iconic towers of New York, such as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler, we took our cue from a tapered treatment with an architectural statement at the top.” Since the desire for an elegant external quality has been matched by a strong interest in green credentials, WOHA has installed a double-layered-skin façade to the development, with the outer surface comprising aluminium-expanded mesh for sun-shading vertical surfaces. A six-storey strip of planting has also been wrapped around the car-parking portion while all corridors are open-air, allowing for natural ventilation. In a bid to make the building attractive to


both visitors and the local community, there are external sky gardens and landscaping throughout, including frangipani trees that appear to float mid-air. To contextualise the tower to Bangkok, a subdued golden hue has been selected for the exterior. Avoiding kitsch or obvious interpretations


of Thai design, the internal public spaces are grounded in sleek local materials, stones and fabrics, namely teak, black granite and Jim Thompson silk. Textures and patterns are abstract renderings of traditional Asian timber framing and latticework. Visitors enter the hotel through a double- height lobby containing an unmissable handstitched textile montage by Beyond Living and a grand staircase embellished with silk and mirrored panels, through which it is possible to glimpse Vue, a communal spot set around a reflective black glass and Makha wood bar framed by opposing oversized mirrors. The teak staircase leads


062 MAY / JUNE 2012 WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM


to a semi-private mezzanine floor, a club lounge and reception area for hotel guests filled with leather and silk armchairs in silver, grey and olive tones and backlit shelves for books and photographs. The Chayavichitsilps had originally intended to work with an art consultant but opted instead to collaborate directly with upcoming Thai artists, offering the hotel’s public spaces as an ‘informal gallery’ for their pieces. Promma Inyasri’s mythical dragon prints adorn reception, for instance, while on the ground floor photography by Tanapol Kaewpring and Komkrit Jianpinidnan adds visual interest. Vases, ceramics, statues and busts, meanwhile, are sourced from the family’s collection accumulated during travels in Chiang Rai, Mae Sai and Chiang Mai. Asian furniture designers are also showcased, with contemporary bar stools from Yothaka and rattan chairs and loveseats by Kenneth Cobonpue positioned around the eighth


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