From tomorrow until Feb 4, Bangkok will turn into a design-lover's haven as Bangkok Design Week will finally open its many doors to the public. Organised by the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) -- the same team that successfully gave us Chiang Mai Design Week -- this will be Bangkok's first ever such event.
Under the theme "The New-ist Vibes", Bangkok Design Week not only hopes to promote local creative businesses, but to show off the potential of the city in terms of design and creativity as well. To do this, they are working with over 500 organisations, local and international designers and entrepreneurs, spreading the event across five main areas of Bangkok: Charoen Krung, Klong San, Sam Yan, Rama 1 and Sukhumvit.
Dividing the festival into three main topics -- City & Living, Well-being & Gastronomy and Creative Businesses, deputy managing director of the TCDC Kittiratana Pitipanich hopes the festival will link people and businesses directly with one another in order to create new opportunities and find solutions for better living.
"This is the heart of a creative economy," he said. "If creatives don't meet, new things won't happen. Design Week is like an accelerator to this. Within the chaos and disorganisation of Bangkok, new creative solutions can come up from these groups of people, and they're able to build new businesses and opportunities within the country."
Some projects include making certain roads more walkable by building an aesthetically pleasing shading system, or creating more green space by building a park on a floating vessel.
"We built this in order to ask questions like, 'Why don't we have green space? Are there other solutions that can be created in this congested city?'," said TCDC's Creative Space Development director Pichit Virakabutra.
"It's a controversial piece. There are people saying it's a stupid idea. Others say it creates a statement. It's debatable and it creates conversation. TCDC tries to redefine the word 'design' from just the aesthetics of 'it's made of plastic' to look at how we can solve problems in a holistic approach."
It's going to be a huge event, and with nine days of over 230 showcases, exhibitions, symposiums and talks, Life has picked out some key highlights in each area for those short on time.
Charoen Krung
Charoen Krung, nicknamed The Creative District, is where the main bulk of the festival is. Don't miss out on the previously mentioned Floating Park, a public green space that will be floating right the middle of the Chao Phraya River. Built on a sand carrier, visitors can only board the vessel when it is decked at the CAT Pier behind the Bangkok General Post Office. It slightly defeats the purpose of a floating park, but hey, it makes a good statement.
At the Bangkok General Post Office, the TCDC's members-only sections will be open for everyone, and PTT Global Chemical will be building a pavilion created by recycled plastics called Waste Side Story. Working with leading architects, fashion designers and product and material designers, the 180m² pavilion aims to raise awareness of plastic waste management and introduce technologies for waste management systems, and exhibit products made from plastic waste.
From Feb 1-4, the Bangkok General Post Office grounds will then transform itself into a Creative & Design Market, featuring over 100 fashion, design and furniture stalls.
If you don't want to wait until Feb 1, head over to Yip In Tsoi at Mahaprutharam Road for the Ploy Saeng Market, a space and platform for young undergraduates to get exposure and sell their products to the general public.
For nostalgia hunters, the Crown Property Bureau, TCDC and Thammasat University have developed a pioneer programme on rehabilitating abandoned properties. Design works and presentations will be exhibited at the formerly abandoned 586 Building on Si Phraya Road.
Apart from these key highlights, there will be countless talks, symposiums, workshops and tours, which you have to register at on the Bangkok Design Week Website.
Klong San
Just opposite the river is the ever-developing Klong San district. The Jam Factory will be having their third Art Ground market from Feb 2-4, while from tomorrow onwards LHONG 1919, every hipster's new hotspot, will have Bangkok Design Week's International Exhibition. Visitors will get to check out new design innovations from Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Bangkok Design Week 2018
Rama I
Siam Center, Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon are also taking part in the festival with Siam Design Site. Young and new designers will be selling their products at Fuzz Pop Up Store on the 3rd floor of Siam Discovery, and displayed around the three malls will be art installations, design showcases, designer parties and creative programmes under "The New-Ist Vibe" theme. Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) won't miss out on the festival as well with their countless exhibitions currently on display.
Sukhumvit
The business district of Sukhumvit will offer an eccentric array of activities. W District Creative Space at Phra Khanong will have a pop-up market featuring 46 local fashion shops in addition to more than 10 food trucks. And if you've had enough of walking for the day, local natural skincare and aromatherapy brand THANN will organise an open house where visitors can learn the benefits of Thai rice and enjoy an exclusive spa treatment trial for free.
Sam Yan
The student area Sam Yan will be packed full of quirky workshops thanks to collaborations with Chulalongkorn University and TCDC Commons Ideo Q Chula-Sam Yan. Some workshops include Cultural Thai Fruit and Flower Box Workshop by TCDC Commons, and Calligraphy, Bookbinding and Printing workshops by Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Architecture. To register, go to the Bangkok Design Week website.
Bangkok Design Week 2018 "The New-ist Vibes"
Jan 27-Feb 4, 2018.
Free Shuttle Service:
- BTS Saphan Taksin-TCDC: Runs from 11am-9.30pm, every 20 minutes from 11am-5pm and every 15 minutes from 5pm onwards.
- MRT Hua Lamphong-Yip In Tsoi: Runs from 11am to 8pm every 20 minutes.
For more information go to:bangkokdesignweek.com, facebook.com/bangkokdesignweek
Art Ground at The Jam Factory.
A rendering of the Floating Park, which will be parked at CAT Pier.
A rendering of the Ploy Saeng Market, a free space for undergraduates to showcase and sell their works.
In an experiment to make Charoen Krung more walkable, the TCDC will be developing a shaded walkway on Charoen Krung 32 to promote accessibility to the area.
