“It has a gracefulness and elegance about it. This project is distinguished by strong design gestures that are well integrated into the landscape by using Bangkok’s design language in a very subtle way.”

Converting landfill into urban green space: Initial analysis of the abandoned site showed signs of dredging for soil as the excavation created pits for illegal refuse dumping. In early 2012, the landscape architects were commissioned by the PTT Reforestation Institute to design a space for reforestation. Under initiatives set by the President/CEO of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) and in commemoration to the forest stewardship efforts by the Royal Family and Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s, an ecological forest that reflected Bangkok’s former landscape looked to be created for public education and enjoyment.

Planting for Succession: Comprehension of Methodologies & Techniques : To create a diverse forest ecology, the planting techniques of saplings by Dr. Akira Miyawaki were implemented to create optimal growing environments of lowland dipterocarp. Through collaboration with the landscape architects, forest ecologists, and contractors, raised berms were designed, engineered and constructed to provide porosity and prevent compaction. A pre-mixture of highly fertile, organic soil was used as a soil medium suitable for the lowland species saplings. The layout of the species was carefully grouped according to successional rate and appropriate water to ground surface level growing conditions.

Dialogue between man and nature: Control of the canopy and density of planting is crucial to the  ambience and design intent of the landscape architects to create a forest of seclusion for visitors to escape from the concrete jungles of Bangkok and spend a few hours in the tree wilderness. After the canopy has reached maturation, the landscape architects intend to carve out a trail at the ground level to provide an experience revealing the understory. However, in the early stages of succession, guests may spend a majority of their time atop the skywalk + observation towerWater recycling technology: planting at the optimal density and maintaining that density is essential to allow the saplings to flourish while also providing enough canopy interception to reduce runoff and allow for rainwater infiltration. The infiltration of water on-site results in the recharge of the groundwater within the constructed berms. The eventual spreading canopy of trees in the forest will serve to shade guests as they trek across the elevated skywalks and meander down from the viewing tower back to the exhibition center. Carbon neutral design of activity spaces: From the waterfall & stream carved and formed by earth-berm mounding, to the skywalk, tower, and exhibitions carbon neutral design. The project, which received LEED Platinum NC, is truly a public outreach commitment by the PTT Reforestation Institute to inspire public awareness of forestry management and the importance of environmental stewardship in Thailand as the design by the Landscape Architects has become an extension of the rammed-earth exhibition center from indoors to outdoors.

The Land Art inspired outdoor exhibition is intended to be a medium where the landscape will be constantly evolving so that visitors will always be welcomed by ‘new’ experiences during each visit. Able to experience the different levels of the canopy at the ground-level, along the skywalk, and within the observation tower, visitors will see Bangkok like never before.