King Power MahaNakhon is a supertall skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand. The skyscraper is built in 2016, and became the tallest building in Bangkok. Below are facts about King Power MahaNakhon and some related information.
Name
The official name of the building is King Power MahaNakhon (Thai: คิง เพาเวอร์ มหานคร).
The building is initially named MahaNakhon (no 'King Power' in the front), the word 'MahaNakhon' is originated as the pronunciation of Thai word 'มหานคร', which means ‘Metropolis’ in English, so the name of the building means Metropolis Tower.
In 2018, the building was sold to King Power Group, and was renamed to its current name King Power MahaNakhon.
Location
The address of King Power MahaNakhon is 114 Narathiwas Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok.
The building is located in the Silom business district in Bangkok, and is only about 50 meters west of the Chong Nonsi station of the BTS Skytrain Silom Line.
Uses
King Power MahaNakhon is a mixed-use building, it features residences, a hotel, an observatory, and retail spaces.
The bottom floors are used as retail space, covering an area of 10,000 square meters (110,000 sq ft).
Above the retail space, the lower section (under 20 floors) of the tower is occupied by the Orient Express Bangkok Hotel, operated by Paris-based AccorHotels, the hotel has 154 rooms.
The middle and upper section (23rd to 73rd floors) of the tower is occupied by 209 freehold luxury residences serviced by Ritz-Carlton, the prices of the residences range from US$1.2 - 14 million.
A multi-story observatory is set at the top floors of the tower and the rooftop, offering the panoramic view of the city of Bangkok. The observatory also has a rooftop bar and a cantilevered glass tray.
Owner
The owner of King Power MahaNakhon is the King Power International Group, which is the leading travel retail group in Thailand.
MahaNakhon Tower was initially owned by PACE Development, which developed the tower. After the completion of the tower, PACE Development encountered financial difficulties and sold the tower to King Power Group.
Height
The architectural height of King Power MahaNakhon is 314 m (1,030 ft), which is measured to the Peak platform on the rooftop. The 4 spire-like structures on the edges of the Peak bring the tower's total height to 320 meters (1,050 ft).
As a 314-meter tall building, King Power MahaNakhon is the tallest building in Thailand by roof height, and the second tallest building in Thailand by architectural height, only one meter lower than the tip of spire of Iconsiam Tower 1 on the west banks of Chao Phraya River. But if judged by the total height, MahaNakhon's 320 meters is still higher.
In the worldwide, King Power MahaNakhon ranks about 105 among all the completed skyscrapers by architectural height as of 2019. Bangkok has prepared to build a 615-meter tall tower, which will become one of the 5 tallest buildings in the world.
The highest occupied indoor-floor is the 74th floor at 310 meters high, but visitors can access to the rooftop at 314 meters off the ground.
Design
King Power MahaNakhon was designed by German architect Ole Scheeren, who is known for designed many irregularly shaped buildings, like CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, the Interlace in Singapore, etc..
The surface of the tower is not all flat and smooth, each floor has a section that looks peeled, with irregularly-placed glass boxes exposed on an inner layer. As a whole, the tower appears having a pixelated ribbon that swirls around the exterior from the bottom to the top.
The pixelated ribbon makes each floor of the tower has cantilevered balconies, offering extensive views of the city for the residents and hotel guests. The architect of the tower says the design brings the inside and the outside closer together, as the residents can step out onto the outdoor terraces from the enclosed space and transit to the open air.
Tourism
As mentioned in the 'Uses' section, the uppermost floors of the tower are occupied by an multi-level observatory. The observatory is the highest viewing platform in Bangkok and has both indoor and outdoor spaces. The rooftop of the tower has an glass tray that is cantilevered over the edge on the south side of the terrace.
Learn more about the observatory of MahaNakhon
