The Met (skyscraper)
The Met is a 66-story condominium located in Bangkok on Sathorn Road.[1] As of 2012, it was the tallest condominium in Thailand and fourth-tallest building in Bangkok.[2]
The Met | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Residential |
Location | Bangkok, Thailand |
Coordinates | 13°43′19.3″N 100°32′2.9″E |
Construction started | 2005 |
Completed | 2009 |
Height | |
Antenna spire | 228.0 metres (748.0 ft) |
Roof | 228.0 metres (748.0 ft) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 66 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | WOHA, Tandem Architects |
Awards and prizes | International Highrise Award 2010 |
Design
The Met has a height of 228 metres and 66 floors. It contains 370 condominium units.[3] It is composed of six towers connected by sky bridges. Sunshades, overhangs, and walls of live greenery filter sunlight and protect interiors from overheating. The gaps between the towers contain terraces with pools and sky gardens. The staggered blocks of the structure's mass are oriented to let the sun pass through the building on its regular course. The apertures through this building are meant to increase the strength of passing breezes and to cool the living units. The architects conceived of this building as a model for high-rise construction in a low-wind tropical climate, reworking the worldwide model developed for cold climates with high winds.
All units are cross-ventilated, leaving residents a viable option to not use air conditioning. Private planters are included in the residents' balconies. The building's location between public transit stations for the BTS Skytrain and MRT systems encourages mass transit use in a city infamous for gridlock.[2][4]
Development
The project was developed by Pebble Bay (Thailand) Ltd., a subsidiary of the Singaporean company Hotel Properties Limited. Pebble Bay, which acquired the land from the U.S. Information Service in 2003, planned to develop a high-rise condo, The Met, along with a low-rise hotel on the smaller plot in front. The 10-rai land was divided in 2004 into seven rai for The Met and three for the hotel. Pebble Bay abandoned the hotel project in 2016, when it sold the land to PMT Property Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Thoresen Thai Agencies, for THB 1.58 billion.[3] In 2023, the Central Administrative Court revoked PMT's construction permit and environmental impact assessment. In a lawsuit filed by The Met, the court ruled that PMT's proposed development of two buildings with 36 storeys each, named 125 Sathorn, exceeded lawful size limits.[5]
Awards
The Met has won the 2009 Bronze Emporis Skyscraper Award.[6] WOHA, the architectural firm, won the Singapore President's Design Award - Design of the Year 2009 for The Met.[7] In 2010, the Met won the German Architecture Museum's International Highrise Award and was cited for "sustainable living conditions in this tropical region without recourse to air conditioning".[8][9] The building was the RIBA 2011 Lubetkin Prize winner.[10]
References
- "The met condominium - 123 South Sathorn Road in Bangkok, Thailand".
- Parker, David; Wood, Anthony (2013). The Tall Buildings Reference Book. Routledge. pp. 430–431. ISBN 9780203106464. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- "The Met argues for fairness and against the EIA Approval of the 125 Sathorn Project". Bangkok Post. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- Wood, Anthony; Bahrami, Payam; Safarik, Daniel (2014). Green Walls in High-Rise Buildings: An output of the CTBUH Sustainability Working Group. Images Publishing. pp. 85–81. ISBN 9781864705935. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- "Luxury Sathon condo construction permit revoked". Bangkok Post. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- "Emporis Skyscraper Award 2009". Emporis. Archived from the original on January 24, 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- "PRESIDENT'S DESIGN AWARD 2009". DesignSingapore Council. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
- "'The Met' High-rise apartment building wins International Highrise Award 2010" (PDF) (Press release). The International Highrise Award 2020. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- Lee, Jeffrey (5 March 2012). "Exhibit: 'WOHA—Breathing Architecture'". Architect. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- "RIBA Lubetkin Prize 2011 winner". RIBA. Archived from the original on 25 August 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.