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Maha Nakhon (มหานคร)
Thai. ‘Great City’. Name for Thailand's
tallest tower, between
2016 and 2018, overtaking the position as the highest building of
the nation from
the 309 meter high Baiyoke Sky Tower (fig.)
and losing it to the Magnolia Waterfront
Residence at
Icon Siam.
Maha Nakhon is 314.2 meters high, has 77 floors and a total floor
area inside the building of 150,000 mē. It was recognized as the
tallest building in Thailand on 4 May 2016. However, the record is
already set to be broken once
construction of the One
Bangkok O4H4 will be finished, a 92
storey skyscraper which will stand 437 meter tall and that is currently under construction on
the site of the former Suan Lum Night Bazaar, opposite of the
southeastern gate of
Suan Lumphini,
Bangkok's
largest public
park (fig.). The
skyscraper is uniquely designed
in the shape of a so-called pixelated spiral, with cuboidal surfaces
that cut into the side, apparently peeling back the exterior surface
layer to expose an inner layer.
At its south-side pinnacle
is
an overhanging glass floor balcony, which is
referred to as the Skywalk (fig.)
and a favourite place for visitors to make selfies to share on
social media. Underneath this Sky Walk, adjacent to the back of
Sathorn Square (fig.),
is the historical
Luang Sathorn
Mansion (fig.
-
map) which today is
popularly known as the House on Sathorn,
from where one has a good view up from below. Despite the huge
lightning rods on each of the rooftop's corners, the top floor
remains closed during heavy rain or thunderstorms due to lightning
hazards. The high speed elevators have
animated walls that on the way up surprise visitors with an all
surrounding video with scenes from traditional Thai life and on the
way down with images of a descend into a deep blue ocean with sea
creatures such as a whale, yet ends with scenes from a lively street
somewhere in
Chinatown, bringing visitors to the fourth floor from
where they can descend further by escalators while passing through
three floors of shops.
In front of the building's main
entrance is a statue of the
multi-headed
elephant
Erawan
rising from the
Ocean of
Milk
(fig.).
He is the symbol of
the clouds and the mount of
Indra, i.e.
the
Vedic god of the heavens, and
together
they
are part of the capital city's coat of arms
(fig.).
This, together with the Thai name
for Bangkok, i.e.
Krung Thep
Maha
Nakhon, are the reasons why Erawan is associated with this
landmark high-rise.
See also
maha and
nakhon.
See MAP and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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