Fai-Fah Thailand, New Bangkok Building, TMB Bank Project, Design, Image

Fai-Fah, Thailand : Bangkok Building

Bangkok Community Building for TMB Bank – design by Spark Architects

18 Jul 2013

Fai-Fah Project

Fai-Fah Wins Best Public Project German Design Council Award

Spark is delighted to announce that two of its projects; Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur and Fai-Fah in Bangkok have won the 2013 German Design Council awards for “iconic” projects, in the Architecture categories of Best Retail Project and Best Public Project. The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held in Munich this October.

Spark director Stephen Pimbley commented
“We are very excited to have won these two awards from the German Design Council, I see them as affirmation that Spark’s work is consistently differentiated from that of our competitors and testament to the enthusiasm we bring to our projects that enhances our clients commercial and social objectives perhaps in ways they never thought we possible”

11 Apr 2012

Fai-Fah Bangkok

Design: Spark

Project Description

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Fai-Fah, which means “light energy”, is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme initiated in April 2010 by TMB Bank. The programme acts as a catalyst for change in Thai society through working with underprivileged children and teenagers in their community using the arts as a vehicle for self-development and creative thinking.

In October 2010, Spark was invited to design Fai-Fah Prachautis, the refurbishment of two shop houses located in a residential district of Bangkok.

photo : Lin Ho

The art and creative education programmes contained in the client’s brief have been distributed over five floors, and include: the multi-function “living room”, the art studio, a library, the gallery, the dance studio and a multi-purpose rooftop garden.

The design was developed at interactive workshops with the Fai-Fah children and teenagers, volunteer arts staff, and members of TMB’s CSR team. Ideas generated during the workshop such as the façade screen and the interior colours were incorporated into the design, underlining the positive nature of the collaborative process and ownership of the concept amongst all of the project’s protagonists.

photos : Lin Ho

The five levels of the building are linked by a central feature staircase with each level defined by its own colour theme. Utilities and services are housed in a new inverted Lshaped structure, the “Utility Stick”, which is plugged into the rear of the building; it rises from the courtyard and bends to form a garden store at roof level.

The existing shop house façade has been transformed by the application of a bespoke lattice screen and Fai-Fah logo, a statement that the building is different from its adjacent neighbours and announcing to the community that Fai-Fah has arrived.

photos : Spark

Paradai Theerathada, Head of Corporate Communications at TMB Bank said, “Spark’s workshops with the Fai-Fah children were inspiring; they gave the children a great sense of accomplishment from being involved in the design process for such a large-scale, tangible project. Spark’s unique interpretation of Fai-Fah propels the imagination of the young and old alike, and inspires the residents and children in the communities to look at ordinary things in extraordinary ways.”

photos : TMB Bank

Fai-Fah Bangkok – Building Information

GFA (area above ground): 569 sqm
Project Completion: Quarter 1, 2012
Facilities: Event Space (Living Room), Gallery, Library, Art Studio, Dance Studio, Roof garden

Stephen Pimbley, Spark Design Director:

photo : TMB Bank

Architect: Spark
Design Director: Stephen Pimbley
Team: Wenhui Lim, Mark Mancenido, Suchon Pongsopitsin
Client: TMB Bank Public Company Limited
Client Team: Paradai Theerathada, Sakchai Sriwatthanapitikul, Nopawan Saengteerakij, Thatchakorn Prutnoppadol, Mallika Uswachoke, Radomdej Taksana, Aree Vesvijak, Jumpol Kwangosen, Saranyoo Nantanawanit, Siriporn Lerdapirangsi
Fai-Fah Kids: Master Thanakan Namunmong, Chisanu Kiatsuranayon, Sirinart Naksombhob, Kamolthat Sutat Na Ayudhya
Local Architect: 365COOP Company Limited

Fai-Fah Bangkok images / information from SparkArchitects

Location: Bangkok, Thailand