REPORTS

MAHANAKHONA HEAD-TURNING TOWER

THAILAND. The imposing pro le of the 314-meter MahaNakhon Tower dominates Bangkok’s skyline. We take a closer look at this skyscraper, as original as it is complex, whose structure was designed by Bouygues-Thai.

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 14 11/12/2015 19:31

15 Le Minorange No. 86

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 15 11/12/2015 19:31

16 Le Minorange N° 86

REPORTS

On this stifl ing October

day, heavy rains have

cleansed the sky and

Bangkok emerges

from the grayness, its concrete

and glass cityscape revealed in

sharp relief as far as the eye can

see. This grandiose panorama

does not distract the small team

from Bouygues-Thai busily

working on the seventy-seventh

and top fl oor of the MahaNakhon

Tower. Some are welding lifting

hooks on the steel beams that

will hold the scaffolding for

the “sky tray,” the transparent

observation platform that will

be suspended at the top of the

tower, 314 meters above the

ground. MahaNakhon will be

the tallest building in Thailand

and also the highest ever built

by Bouygues Construction.

To support its 320,0000 tons,

130 piles had to be driven

65 meters into the city’s clayey

soil. “During the 24 months of the

project, we have poured some

95,000 cubic meters of concrete

– a quarter for the raft foundation,

the 9-meter-high base of the

tower,” says production manager

Soukpaseuth Teso. Figures that

make the head spin, as does the

tower’s design. The brainchild of

the celebrated German architect

Ole Scheeren, MahaNakhon has

a pixelated façade into which

is carved a spiral spanning

several fl oors and running up

the entire tower. “Thirty percent

of the slabs are cantilevered

with no direct support, so we

had to use beams and fl oors

that are post-tensioned, that

is, reinforced by tightening

tendons running through them,”

explains project manager

Chatchai Sirirapraphakul. For this

work, VSL, another Bouygues

Construction subsidiary,

provided its expertise.

Bangkok

Indonesia

Cambodia

Th ailand

INDIAN OCEAN

CHINA SEA

Malaysia

Left, Khun Pabpueng Kongsingh, site manager. Women make up 40 percent of the workforce on the site.

A complex structure“Because of the tower’s shape,

it is 45 centimeters off-center,”

says technical director Chloé

Clair. “To rebalance it, we built in

a 2-millimeter-by-fl oor incline. And

we designed three double-fl oor

levels as transfer structures to

redistribute the excess loads on

the pillars to the building’s core.

François Deguent, head of the

Studies department, adds: “No two

“Major changes were made in the tower’s structure during the construction” Patrice Bard, deputy managing director

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 16 11/12/2015 19:31

To put “pixels” in relief, 30 percent of the slabs in the tower are cantilevered with no direct support.

17 Le Minorange No. 86

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 17 11/12/2015 19:31

At the top of the tower will be a restaurant and bar on three fl oors and the “sky tray,” a transparent observation platform.

REPORTS

18 Le Minorange No. 86

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 18 11/12/2015 19:31

19 Le Minorange N° 86

fl oors of MahaNakhon are identical,

so digital mock-ups with automatic

detection of interferences were

an indispensable tool.” They

proved even more important,

notes deputy managing director

Patrice Bard, since “major changes

were made in the tower’s structure

during the construction. Some of

these changes were requested by

the customer, Pace Development,

but others were improvements

that we proposed, since we are

also involved in the design work.”

Jean-Marie Verbrugghe, managing

director of Bouygues-Thai, sums

up by saying: “It is the fi rst time we

have dealt with such structurally

complex construction. We have

taken a pragmatic approach,

respecting the architectural

constraints and the work schedule.”

A successful project that could

lead to others. “Bouygues-Thai

enjoys a relationship of trust

with Pace Development, and

new projects are already being

considered for the future.”

Night falls gently in Bangkok and

lights come on across the city.

The Bouygues-Thai team will not be

leaving for an evening on the town,

however. Although the structural

works are 98 percent fi nished,

they will be busy right up until the

skyscraper is handed over in March

2016. Then, in June, the tower’s

residents will open the doors of their

new homes in the clouds.

Ludmilla Intravaia

“I want the MahaNakhon Tower to become the symbol of Bangkok”Sorapoj Techakraisri, chief executive officer, Pace Development

What does the MahaNakhon project represent for you? MahaNakhon reflects our desire to carry out an inspiring project for Thailand and to signal our confidence in the economic prosperity of our country. I want the MahaNakhon Tower to become the symbol of Bangkok, placing it in the ranks of the world’s great cities.

Why did you choose to work with Bouygues-Thai?Among other things, because of its 25 years of experience in our country, where the

company has carried out many large-scale, high-rise projects like Muang Thong Thani and its Impact conference center.

MahaNakhon is already an iconic construction. What is your reaction to this success? This project has set a new quality standard in the luxury real estate industry. We are very proud of this accomplishment.

On the initiative of Jean-Marie Verbrugghe, managing director of Bouygues-Thai, the Bouygues Construction foundation Terre Plurielle is offering support to the Ban Nam Khem School, which is located in a region of Thailand hard hit by the tsunami in 2004. “This project will enable students to learn French, which can be a plus when looking for a job in tourism,” explains Verbrugghe. “For the first time, two young people from the school are attending university. It’s a source of great pride.” More information on terreplurielle.org.

Did you know?

Martin Bouygues visits the worksite on March 27, 2015, in the company of Philippe Bonnave, chairman and CEO of Bouygues Construction (left), and Patrice Bard, deputy managing director, and some of his team (right).

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 19 11/12/2015 19:31

The front door opens onto a central rotunda, with sliding doors decorated with shagreen and a floor paved with Arabescato marble. A cozy office, living room with solid oak parquet flooring, kitchen with elegant lacquered trim, bedroom with a canopy bed, bathroom decorated with mosaics in Bardiglio marble and dominated by a huge, round bathtub,

a king-size dressing room… a spacious and luxurious place to call home. Everywhere, expensive and refined decorative objects. The decor is by the studio of the celebrated interior designer David Collins. And as a bonus, a sumptuous view over Bangkok. With floor areas between 120 and 850 sq. meters, the 200 apartments with

two to five bedrooms will be located between the 23rd and 73rd floors of the MahaNakhon Tower. As this is a Ritz-Carlton residence, their owners will enjoy the advantages of the luxury hotel chain’s five-star service: concierge, 24-hour valet parking, access to the outdoor terraces, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, and a fitness center with yoga and Pilates sessions.

An apartment in the sky

“The Hill,” as the tower’s base is called, consists of a cascade of terraces (artist’s rendering).

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 20 11/12/2015 19:31

The apartments will offer spectacular views over Bangkok (artist’s rendering).

Minorange bonus Watch a film about the project at the Bouygues group collaborative portal: https://bylink.bouygues.com

21 Le Minorange No. 86

14_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 2114_21_tour_pixel_V2_BANGKOK_VA.indd 21 16/12/2015 19:1716/12/2015 19:17