This project was initiated by MCOT in 2003, in
line with the re-branding of its television station to become Modern Nine TV.
The 30-year-old campus originally opened with two buildings in 1980 and in 2003 an
operations building was added, which was also awarded to and designed by A49.
Having acquired an adjacent plot of land, MCOT had
ambitions to become a communication hub for the region. The plan was to
revitalize the entire complex, including the construction of a skyscraper that
would house the regional office of the international television station.
The orignal two-story-high broadcasting building
was rearticulated by resolving the solid mass as the composition of the plane
and enlarging the reception hall with a glazed façade and canopy. The original
six-story administration building was reconditioned by transforming the use of space.
Some of the floor area was eliminated to create additional space for creating a
more people-centric work area by offering outside views and natural light.
To resolve a critical problem with regards to car
parking at the complex, the new 12-story multipurpose building devotes its
first 10 floors, and one-and-a-half underground floors, to parking. To conceal
the monotonous and harsh appearance of the 10-story façade, the building turns
its solid core to the main area of the complex and is clad with enamel panels
that can display graphic signage, while other parts of the façade are covered
with extruded aluminum louvers and precast concrete.
The 11th floor houses the 300-seat canteen, seven
activity rooms, and a club room, while the 12th floor houses a fitness center,
an 8-meter-high multi-sport court (to enable badminton), an aerobics room, and
a locker room. The space in the central area of the 11th and 12th floors is
connected by an atrium filled with a line of trees and a wooden deck, which directs
the circulation up to the rooftop where a jogging track, seating, and garden
plots are planned.
Phase 1 of the MCOT Complex includes the renovation of the broadcasting and administration buildings, the construction of a new 12-story multipurpose building, landscape architecture and graphic signage of the entire complex, all designed by 49 Group. The MCOT identity is expressed through the clean white horizontal lines and precise alignment of the brise soleil, the clarity and proportions of the modules, and the unique balance of precision and tranquility.
Wisit Engineering Consultants