Central Plaza - Chiangrai, Thailand
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 19° 53.193 E 099° 50.101
47Q E 587412 N 2199143
This modern shopping plaza, opened in 2011, is one of the largest shopping malls in the northern city of Chiangrai, Thailand. It covers 55 acres.
Waymark Code: WMGFYY
Location: Thailand
Date Posted: 03/01/2013
Views: 4
The trend of this mall is definitely upscale with many Western brand stores such as McDonalds, Sizzler, and Dairy Queen. Besides its anchor department stores, there are many choices for fashion, electronics, music and restaurants. It's 200 stores cover 55 acres on one of Chiangrai's major thoroughfares.
Central Plaza stands in contrast to this old capital of Thailand's north kingdom, rich in centuries of history.
It's modern architecture and use of outdoor space makes it an example of the best in shopping area created by Design Director, Prapan Napawongdee, and Landscape Architect, Chanon Wangkachonkiatby, of the Shima Company, Ltd.
LandZine has the following description of this project:
Concept Mountainous Scape
Being the first up-scale shopping mall in Chiang Rai, Central Plaza provides a generous outdoor space for the public to enjoy. Our proposal presents this space as a cultural plaza and park that embraces native culture and identity with various activities to enrich local suburban life.
The landscape design encapsulates the mountainous scene surrounding the site through the interpretation of the northern mountainous contour line characteristic. The contour pattern is reflected in the stark pavement pattern and the shape of undulating flower mound, step, seats, water cascade. Simple local materials like sandwash and terrazzo are used to construct the pavement and the fluid seat respectively. Their flexible nature makes constructing natural form possible.
Selection of native plants further enhances the northern atmosphere as well as corresponding to regional ecology. Red Silk Cotton tree – locally known as Ngiew Tree – is the main feature. It is majestic in form and famous for its flower as an ingredient in traditional delicacy. During January to March, Ngiew’s bright orange flower blooms in profusion and is accompanied by orange flowers of Trumpet Vine which covers the wall on the façade and other flowering shrubs on ground.
Shma’s collaboration with world renowned local earth artist, Master Somluk Pantiboon, is resulting in a series of 5-piece sculpture floating over cascading water feature. Placed as focal point of the landscape, the ceramic sculpture is depicting the life cycle of ‘Ngiew flower’ from budding to blooming to withering.