We have designed Onsen, public bath, for the leading spa brand Panpuri which is located on 12th floor of a high-rise building in Bangkok, Thailand.
When we visited the site first time, we recognized the outdoor view from the site was magnificent. Therefore, we have focused on customers to enjoy the views, not to create decorative interior.
Not to distract the views, the bath tubs are located near the curtainwall in black color scheme with a white frame. The white frame is not only to emphasize the functions of bathing and body washing, it became a frame of the outside view. And in the evening the water surface is lit and reflected to the frame to create a magnificent atmosphere.
There were many technical constrains that we needed to face. The biggest challenge was the structure reinforcement to support the weight of bath. Our solution was to reinforce columns by the façade and added cantilever beams to support bath. This solution was based on the fact that we cannot reinforce the floor because there is the plumbing system under the bath as well as client’s future reinstatement of the tenant space.
Another challenge was the water system. The existing architecture was designed for the use of office building, there was not enough existing water supply and drain which causes long hours to drain water after the business hours. We have evaluated time schedule of the water supply and drain with the client in order to minimize the amount of water tanks. In addition to these issues, we have designed additional mechanical system and detailed lighting locations in order to avoid any glare which distract the evening outdoor view.
The view of Bangkok from bath, this is truly a unique experience and symbolized the Panpuri’s concept “Your Optimum Self Realized”.
