MahaNakhon’s construction highlighted the complexities of the design and construction process for a supertall building in densely populated Bangkok with high levels of traffic congestion, requiring a design-build approach while planning construction staging in a manner that would allow for the steady flow of material deliveries and ensuring the concrete mix for the structural frame of the tower wouldn’t get too hot before delivery. To compensate for the soft soils below Bangkok, 129 piles were drilled to a depth of 65 meters and then capped with a massive 8.75 meter thick mat foundation, so large that the concrete pouring took 2 months over the course of 12 consecutive Saturday nights, the least congested time periods for Bangkok traffic. The seismic design was based on CTBUH recommendations and the tower’s unconventional form was subjected to 36 directions of wind loads during wind tunnel testing.
The name MahaNakon is derived from the Thai meaning of ‘great metropolis’ and integrates itself within the local context through the inclusion of a landscaped plaza intended to serve as a new public space, surrounded by 10,000 square meters of upscale retail and restaurants in a lush garden setting at the tower’s base. The tower is then comprised of a boutique hotel and luxury residences arranged into single level and duplex units. The tower is then topped with a multi-level skybar and restaurant, affording expansive views of great metropolis expanding outward towards the horizon