Get ready for the upcoming world’s most creative festival “Bangkok Design Week 2023” (BKKDW2023), which will be held from 4th to 12th February 2023. Organised by Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization or CEA), the festival’s theme “urban’NICE’zation,” (A Nice City), revolves around the topic of ‘how to make the city better’ to inspire and encourage those involved in making Bangkok better.
This is the sixth year that Bangkok Design Week has been held and it includes more than 530 programs, e.g., exhibitions, showcases, music, talks, workshops, tours, events, and creative flea markets, in the 9 business districts across Bangkok, i.e., 1) Charoen Krung – Talad Noi 2) Yaowarat 3) Sam Yan – Siam 4) Ari-Pradipat 5) Phra Nakhon / Pak Khlong Talat / Nang Loeng 6) Wong Wian Yai – Talat Phlu / Khlong San 7) Bangpho 8) Phrom Phong 9) Kaset Nawamin, and other areas.
“urban’NICE’zation (A Nice City)”
The main theme of Bangkok Design Week 2023 focuses on ‘quality of life’ based on the principle of urbanisation that must be friendly to the residents who are meanwhile encouraged to be amiable to the city as well. Bangkok shall be transformed to become a nice and friendly city to both dwellers and entrepreneurs by means of urban‘NICE’zation (A Nice City), along with the attempt to find solutions to the ongoing problems within the city.In the meantime, it is expected that the creative businesses and the circular economy in Bangkok shall be promoted with the collaboration amongst all parties and both private and government agencies.
urban‘NICE’zation – Let’s make ‘urban’ nice for us all
‘urban‘NICE’zation (A Nice City)’ is designated especially for people, city, and society through the following 6 dimensions:
1. Nice for Environment: How to revitalise and create more green areas in the city?
2. Nice for Culture: How to enable urban people to have engagement in expressing or appreciating diverse cultures?
3. Nice for Diversity: How can the city embrace different and diverse members?
4. Nice for Mobility: How to find out the creative ideas or innovations that enable urban people to commute in a more convenient and more secure manner?
5. Nice for Business: How to create the atmosphere of the city that can promote businesses?
6. Nice for Community: How to provide the community with happiness and unity?
Explore the highlighted 9 business districts across Bangkok
Charoen Krung – Talad Noi
● Seatscape & Beyond by One Bangkok: One Bangkok presents the collection of Urban Furniture from the project One Bangkok Urban Furniture Competition 2022 ‘Seatscape & Beyond’, addressing the creativity on the design of public seats that can bring about pleasant experiences to the urban people.
Venue: General Post Office on Charoen Krung Road, Forecourt
Yaowarat
● Academic Program: Bangkok City Trooper by SATARANA: The program is related to the trial urban design in collaboration with more than 9 educational institutions nationwide. The objective of such design is to enable the city to effectively accommodate the high volume of space usage. It is also intended to present the new dimensions of cultures in the Yaowarat, Sampeng, and Songwad, the large and old economic areas in the heart of Bangkok with space usage for almost 24 hours.
Venue: Yaowarat, Sampeng, and Songwad
Phra Nakhon / Pak Khlong Talat / Nang Loeng
● Waterworks by FOS Design Studio: Explore the charm of historic building ” Mansri Metropolitan Waterworks”, which has been existing for a long time and has become a closed area at present. Discover the origin of this building as well as its surrounding areas while enjoying the new experiences within the old venue that shall delight both Thai and foreign tourists. Revitalize the magnificent old building by means of Architectural Lighting, which is a part of the project Unfolding Bangkok-Living Old Building.
Venue: Mansri Metropolitan Waterworks
● Pak Khlong Pop-Up: Bangkok Flower Market Festival by Humans of Flower Market by Arch SU: Let’s appreciate the new experiences of sightseeing along the old flower market of Bangkok. Create “pictures of mind” in the area of Pak Khlong Talat and bring back its liveliness through Flower-Inspired Installation, Interactive Flower Experience, and Street Photo Exhibition.
Venue: Pak Khlong Talat
● A Garden Too Secret: This ‘secret garden’ is a private green space for Bangkok residents(with ratio of 1:1). Once setting foot in this garden, the viewers will relish the green area with lush vegetation and abundant biodiversity. Plants shall become a part of urban identity and the beauty of local plants presented via the interesting combination of artificial light and mist will offer immersive experiences.
Venue: Phra Nakhon, 2nd Floor of Dome Building
Ari-Pradipat
● Ari-Pradipat Open House #2 by AriAround: ‘Open House, Open Area, Open City’ provides connection and opportunities for designers, creators, entrepreneurs, and general public who live and work in Ari-Pradipat area. The opportunities are also opened for those in other areas who are interested to do activities with the people in this area. This is all to promote this hip area to become a sustainable creative learning and business district in the future.
Venue: 33 Space
Phrom Phong
● 49 & FRIENDS: LUMINOUS 26 by A49 / A49HD: Lots of shady trees in Sukhumvit 26 area are the outstanding advantage that everyone has in mind; unfortunately, these trees have obscured the lighting system. Therefore, 49 & FRIENDS has proposed the new lighting system that can effectively provide illumination for the safety of both pedestrians and cars at night.
Venue: ARCHITECTS 49 LIMITED, Sukhumvit 26
Bangpho
● Bangpho Wood Sale Festival by Bangpho Wood Street: It is the biggest and the most inclusive wood sale event ever been in the past 15 years. The festival includes all wood stores with a variety of wood products, e.g., wooden furniture, wood carving, processed wood products, various types of decorations, etc., with the maximum discount of more than 50%.
Venue: Bangpho Wood Street, Pracha Naruemit Road
Apart from the list above, there are also other participating areas in this festival with the objective to turn Bangkok into “A Nice City” for everyone in #BKKDW2023.
For more information, please visit www.bangkokdesignweek.com, FB and IG: bangkokdesignweek, Twitter: @BKKDesignWeek, Line: @bangkokdesignweek
#BKKDW2023 #BangkokDesignWeek #urbanNICEzation
