Being the first up-scale shopping mall in Chiang Rai, Central Plaza provides a generous outdoor space for the public to enjoy. Our proposal presents this space as a cultural plaza and park that embraces native culture and identity with various activities to enrich local suburban life. The landscape design encapsulates the mountainous scene surrounding the site through the interpretation of the northern mountainous contour line characteristic. The contour pattern is reflected in the stark pavement pattern and the shape of undulating flower mound, step, seats, water cascade. Simple local materials like sandwash and terrazzo are used to construct the pavement and the fluid seat respectively. Their flexible nature makes constructing natural form possible.
Selection of native plants further enhances the northern atmosphere as well as corresponding to regional ecology. Red Silk Cotton tree – locally known as Ngiew Tree – is the main feature. It is majestic in form and famous for its flower as an ingredient in traditional delicacy. During January to March, Ngiew’s bright orange flower blooms in profusion and is accompanied by orange flowers of Trumpet Vine which covers the wall on the façade and other flowering shrubs on ground.
Shma’s collaboration with world renowned local earth artist, Master Somluk Pantiboon, is resulting in a series of 5-piece sculpture floating over cascading water feature. Placed as focal point of the landscape, the ceramic sculpture is depicting the life cycle of ‘Ngiew flower’ from budding to blooming to withering.
