A 77-storey skyscraper is set to become the latest, and tallest, addition to Bangkok's ever-changing skyline, already transformed by a construction boom that has raised fears of a property bubble.
Variously described on Internet forums as looking 'like it has been eaten by giant termites' and reflecting 'the chaos of Bangkok', the MahaNakorn — Great Metropolis — will tower over the Thai capital when it is finished in 2014.
At 314 metres (1,036 feet) it will be the city's tallest building, but size was not what mattered, said Sorapoj Techakraisri, head of PACE Development, which began building the skyscraper in June.
'I just wanted something unique, something interesting,' he told the AFP.
MahaNakorn's unusual pixelated spiral design was created by German architect Ole Scheeren, who was behind Beijing's futuristic China Central Television headquarters.
The 19 billion baht ($640 million) tower will house apartments, a shopping centre and a Ritz-Carlton hotel.
'When the economy gets better, the buildings go higher,' Sorapoj said.
Thailand's economic health appears robust, growing 7.8 per cent in 2010 despite street protests by the opposition 'Red Shirts' that brought large areas of Bangkok to a standstill for two months.
An ever-increasing number of pristine new apartment blocks jostle for space in desirable areas, vying for custom as billboards written in idiosyncratic English promise swanky lifestyles.
It is a far cry from a decade ago, when the city was littered with the skeletal remains of abandoned tower blocks, casualties of the 1997 Asian financial crisis that devastated the region.
The Bank of Thailand has described 2010 as the 'golden year for real estate businesses', with strong demand for homes — driven by low interest rates and increased consumer confidence — causing a flurry of new building.
Source : New Age
