Major renovations to one of Bangkok’s most distinctive buildings have prompted criticism from campaigners and architects, including the tower’s 84-year-old designer.
For almost four decades, its cartoonish eyes gazed out placidly over Sathorn, a commercial district in downtown Bangkok. Now, with its facade stripped back to a concrete frame amid major renovations, the tower affectionately known as the “Robot Building” is barely recognizable, save for its characteristically blocky silhouette. The building’s owners, the Thai arm of Singapore’s United Overseas Bank , say the refurbishment will make its headquarters more energy-efficient and employee-friendly.
Its iconic lidded “eyes” served as windows for two executive suites on the upper floors, while the building’s toy-like appearance was completed by antennas — used for communications and as lightning rods — and a series of large metallic nuts decorating its sides. The Robot Building is among a vanishingly small number of landmarks from the era to have survived Bangkok’s breakneck urban development.
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