A “city within a city”

As Thailand’s largest private-sector development, One Bangkok reimagines a prominent site at the convergence of three major thoroughfares into a 41-acre district. Situated just a few steps from Lumphini Park, the city’s own “Central Park,” the project introduces hotels, residences, retail, offices, and entertainment across eight skyscrapers and a series of smaller structures around a central civic plaza. Guided by SOM as master planner and master architect with collaboration from a team of local and international designers, this first phase was completed in just eight years. The second phase will include an SOM-designed mixed-use signature tower that will be the tallest in Thailand upon completion.

A new centerpiece for Bangkok

In a city where public life has historically centered on markets, temples, canals, and alleys rather than formal squares, One Bangkok introduces a major civic plaza—framed by a network of podiums, streets, and courtyards that echo the intimacy of the city’s traditional urban fabric. To create that space, all of the development’s infrastructure—from utilities to parking—sits underground, and the project’s proximity to the Lumphini MRT station encourages residents to use mass transit. Since opening, the plaza has served as a main gathering space in Bangkok, supporting everyday activity as well as major public events, from concerts and year-end celebrations to Thailand’s Songkran Festival.

Retail, cultural venues, and public amenities activate the street and podium levels, encouraging exploration and informal social interaction throughout the district. An extensive public art program enriches these spaces, featuring permanent works by internationally renowned artists including Anish Kapoor, Sir Tony Cragg, and Alex Face. To honor the site’s history, the Wireless House—where Bangkok’s first radio transmission was broadcast—was preserved and adapted into a museum housing a permanent exhibition linking the area’s legacy with its evolving civic role.

A climate-responsive, resilient design

The first project in Thailand to achieve LEED Platinum certification for Neighborhood Development, One Bangkok embeds sustainability from the ground up, with architecture, infrastructure, and landscape working together to advance long-term environmental performance and resilience. Designed for Bangkok’s hot, tropical monsoon climate and outdoor-oriented daily life, the district supports year-round use through open-air terraces, shaded promenades, sheltered walkways, and layered landscapes that provide comfort during warmer months and seasonal rains. Tower placement and landscaping create shade and breezeways that support natural ventilation, while mist from the central fountain cools the plaza.

Sitting within a known flood zone, the district addresses heavy rainfall and flood risk through resilient measures embedded in the design at both the landscape and district scale, protecting the site from a 1-in-500 year flood event. Nearly half the site is dedicated to green space, with permeable landscapes along the perimeter that absorb rainfall, reduce runoff, and support groundwater recharge. The civic plaza is elevated one level above the ground, allowing water to drain away from key gathering areas toward sponge parks at the perimeter. During extreme rain and major floods, the basements function as temporary cisterns to limit water damage and support safe recovery.

Centralizing energy generation and operations

Across the entire site, all of the buildings share a subterranean network of infrastructure, allowing the district to operate as an integrated whole rather than as a collection of individual buildings. A high-efficiency central utility plant supports long-term efficiency by balancing power, cooling, water, waste, and overall energy demand, while high-performance facades and solar power help reduce operational carbon. All office towers are progressing toward WELL Platinum certification, and double platinum certifications from WiredScore and SmartScore reflect the development’s commitment to sustainability, digital connectivity, and smart-city performance.