Chamchuri Square
Encyclopedia
Chamchuri Square is a high-rise building complex located in Bangkok
, Thailand
. It consists of a commercial office
tower, a residential tower and a podium housing a shopping mall
which connects the two. Owned by Chulalongkorn University
, construction on the complex began in 1994 but was halted from 1996 to 2005 and later completed in 2008. With forty floors and a height of 173 metres (567.6 ft), the office tower is the thirty-eighth-tallest building in Thailand .
, was to be developed by Siam Techno City Co, Ltd., a joint venture majorly owned by Thai Farmers' Bank (now Kasikornbank), Loxley Group and the Japan International Development Organization (Jaido), with Thai Shimizu Co., Ltd. as contractor, and sales management by Chesterton Thai Property Consultants. Construction began in 1994 with completion expected by 1997 and an estimated project value of seven billion baht. The original design consisted of a forty-storey office
tower and a thirty-nine-storey residential tower, with a central linking podium (referred to as the atrium) featuring a convention centre, retail shops and direct access to the to-be-constructed MRT
. Parking space was to be provided underground as well as in the lower levels of the office tower. The development concept was based on visions of a hi-tech office building and convention centre equipped with advanced intelligent systems.
In 1996, due to poor sales outlook, work on the project was halted when the towers had only reached their thirteenth floors. The original development plans became abandoned amidst the ensuing 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which saw sharply falling demand for commercial office space, and Hi-tech Square stood derelict among Bangkok's many uncompleted buildings for the next near-decade.
In 2002, the university's administration decided to revive the project and approved 300 million baht from the university's funds for development of the project, with additional investment expected to come from the private sector. The first phase of reconstruction, which was subcontracted to Ruam Nakhon Construction (RNC Thailand), consisted of repairing and completing the basement and atrium, and began in late 2004, due for completion by the end of 2005. However, due to flooding, only 70 percent of the work was completed on time. The remaining development, costing an estimated 2.7 billion baht which was funded solely by the university after failing to attract private investment, was awarded to Powerline Engineering PCL, which began work in April 2006. The project underwent a few changes in design, including the reduction of the residential tower's height to 23 floors and the abandonment of the convention centre in favour of an "edutainment
centre" concept, and was renamed Chamchuri Square. Construction was completed in early 2008, and the complex opened on 9 July the same year.
with 22300 square metre of retail space featuring several bookshops, restaurants, education service centres, as well as other miscellaneous service and retail shops. It is notably home to a branch of the Chulalongkorn University Book Center
and an exhibition centre of the National Science Museum. The atrium is also used as a small-scale event venue.
Located on 21 rai (3.36 hectares (8.3 acre)) of Chulalongkorn University land on the north-eastern corner of Sam Yan
Intersection (Phaya Thai
and Rama IV Roads) next to the Thai Red Cross Society
and opposite Wat Hua Lamphong
, Chamchuri Square is directly connected to the Sam Yan Station (Bangkok Metro)
and is the first and only building to feature such an internal connection.
The taller of the two buildings, Chamchuri Office Tower, at 173 metres (567.6 ft) in height, is the thirty-eighth-tallest building in Thailand . With 89029 square metre of leasable class A office space, it is the country's largest office building to be completed since before the 1997 financial crisis. Its office space is managed by CB Richard Ellis
, which in late 2008 leased 61500 square metre to DTAC
, the building's largest tenant, in what is the largest-ever office lease in Thailand.
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It consists of a commercial office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
tower, a residential tower and a podium housing a shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
which connects the two. Owned by Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
, construction on the complex began in 1994 but was halted from 1996 to 2005 and later completed in 2008. With forty floors and a height of 173 metres (567.6 ft), the office tower is the thirty-eighth-tallest building in Thailand .
History
Originally known as CU Hi-tech Square, the project, owned by Chulalongkorn UniversityChulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
, was to be developed by Siam Techno City Co, Ltd., a joint venture majorly owned by Thai Farmers' Bank (now Kasikornbank), Loxley Group and the Japan International Development Organization (Jaido), with Thai Shimizu Co., Ltd. as contractor, and sales management by Chesterton Thai Property Consultants. Construction began in 1994 with completion expected by 1997 and an estimated project value of seven billion baht. The original design consisted of a forty-storey office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
tower and a thirty-nine-storey residential tower, with a central linking podium (referred to as the atrium) featuring a convention centre, retail shops and direct access to the to-be-constructed MRT
Bangkok Metro
The MRT , sometimes referred to as the Bangkok Metro, is Bangkok's underground metro system in Thailand. It was constructed under a concession concept...
. Parking space was to be provided underground as well as in the lower levels of the office tower. The development concept was based on visions of a hi-tech office building and convention centre equipped with advanced intelligent systems.
In 1996, due to poor sales outlook, work on the project was halted when the towers had only reached their thirteenth floors. The original development plans became abandoned amidst the ensuing 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which saw sharply falling demand for commercial office space, and Hi-tech Square stood derelict among Bangkok's many uncompleted buildings for the next near-decade.
In 2002, the university's administration decided to revive the project and approved 300 million baht from the university's funds for development of the project, with additional investment expected to come from the private sector. The first phase of reconstruction, which was subcontracted to Ruam Nakhon Construction (RNC Thailand), consisted of repairing and completing the basement and atrium, and began in late 2004, due for completion by the end of 2005. However, due to flooding, only 70 percent of the work was completed on time. The remaining development, costing an estimated 2.7 billion baht which was funded solely by the university after failing to attract private investment, was awarded to Powerline Engineering PCL, which began work in April 2006. The project underwent a few changes in design, including the reduction of the residential tower's height to 23 floors and the abandonment of the convention centre in favour of an "edutainment
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
centre" concept, and was renamed Chamchuri Square. Construction was completed in early 2008, and the complex opened on 9 July the same year.
Design and location
The Chamchuri Square complex consists of: a forty-storey office building (Chamchuri Office Tower) with parking space on the second to tenth floors; a twenty-three-storey luxury apartment building (Residence Tower) featuring 126 standard rooms let for thirty-year long-term leases; and the four-storey connecting "atrium" section (Chamchuri Square). The atrium section, which is promotionally billed as "the Edutainment Gateway", is a shopping mallShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
with 22300 square metre of retail space featuring several bookshops, restaurants, education service centres, as well as other miscellaneous service and retail shops. It is notably home to a branch of the Chulalongkorn University Book Center
Chulalongkorn University Book Center
The Chulalongkorn University Book Center is a chain of bookstores operated by Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. It operates seven stores located at Sala Phra Kiao , Siam Square, Naresuan University, Suranaree University of Technology, Burapha University, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy and...
and an exhibition centre of the National Science Museum. The atrium is also used as a small-scale event venue.
Located on 21 rai (3.36 hectares (8.3 acre)) of Chulalongkorn University land on the north-eastern corner of Sam Yan
Sam Yan
Sam Yan is the name of an intersection and its nearby neighbourhood in Bangkok, Thailand. It connects Rama IV Road with Phaya Thai Road to the north and Si Phraya Road to the south, and is located within Pathum Wan District, next to its border with Bang Rak...
Intersection (Phaya Thai
Phaya Thai Road
Phaya Thai Road is a major road in Bangkok, Thailand. It begins at the south side of Victory Monument in Ratchathewi district and continues until Sam Yan Intersection in Pathum Wan district, where it intersects with Rama IV Road....
and Rama IV Roads) next to the Thai Red Cross Society
Thai Red Cross Society
The Thai Red Cross Society is the major humanitarian organisation in Thailand, providing services as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement...
and opposite Wat Hua Lamphong
Wat Hua Lamphong
Wat Hua Lamphong is a Royal Buddhist temple, third class, in the Bang Rak District of Bangkok, Thailand.It is located on Rama IV Road, with Si Lom Road and Suriwong Road in Bangkok's modern business district to the southeast, and Si Phraya Road to the northwest. It is a block from The Montien...
, Chamchuri Square is directly connected to the Sam Yan Station (Bangkok Metro)
Sam Yan Station (Bangkok Metro)
Sam Yan Station is a Bangkok MRT Blue Line rapid transit station in Thailand, located underground between Sam Yan intersection on Rama IV Road near Chulalongkorn University.-Station Map:- Exits:* 1 Wat Hua Lamphong, Si Phraya Road, Surawong Road....
and is the first and only building to feature such an internal connection.
The taller of the two buildings, Chamchuri Office Tower, at 173 metres (567.6 ft) in height, is the thirty-eighth-tallest building in Thailand . With 89029 square metre of leasable class A office space, it is the country's largest office building to be completed since before the 1997 financial crisis. Its office space is managed by CB Richard Ellis
CB Richard Ellis
CBRE Group, Inc. , a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm . The Company has approximately 31,000 employees , and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices worldwide...
, which in late 2008 leased 61500 square metre to DTAC
DTAC
Total Access Communication Public Company Limited is the second largest GSM mobile phone provider in Thailand . Dtac is owned by Telenor both directly and indirectly...
, the building's largest tenant, in what is the largest-ever office lease in Thailand.