WHITESPACE PARTNERS REIMAGINES CENTRAL CHAENGWATTANA SHOPPING MALL AS A CREATIVE SPACE, CONNECTING ART, ENVIRONMENT, AND PEOPLE ACROSS ALL DIMENSIONS OF THE SPACE
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN
(For Thai, press here)
In 2025, Central Pattana continues its commitment to reimagining and renovating its shopping centers across the country, tailoring each space more closely to the lifestyles of the communities they serve. Among the latest destinations to undergo revitalization is Central Chaengwattana, which has been brought fresh energy through a new interior design by the Thai studio Whitespace Partners. The redesign adopts the concept of the ‘Art Eco Playground,’ an approach that layers playful bursts of color with a warm, inviting atmosphere. The result is an environment designed to engage the art-loving residents of both Bangkok’s Chaengwattana district and neighboring Nonthaburi. This overarching concept also shaped the site-specific art features created by WISHULADA, THINKK Studio, and Patima Design, which further enrich the mall’s spatial identity.
As contemporary Thai art becomes increasingly accessible, gallery visits have turned into a popular weekend pursuit for younger generations. The ‘Art Eco Playground’ channels that spirit of discovery and enjoyment into the experience of a retail environment, offering visitors a new way of seeing and inhabiting the mall. Unlike the white-box neutrality of galleries, Central Chaengwattana and its design team present a more dynamic vocabulary of spaces, transforming everyday circulation into moments of artistic encounter. Anchoring this narrative is the figure of a bear, a whimsical protagonist that makes its presence felt throughout the center, from the ground floor to the upper levels.
Whitespace Partners began the transformation with a dramatic gesture at the main entrance, opening the volume vertically to create a sense of height and release. The two flanking walls were left unobstructed, becoming full-scale surfaces for art displays. From there, the journey into the interior was reconfigured to feel more open and fluid. The original grand central staircase was demolished and replaced with a direct descent to the lower level, while new staircases were relocated to the sides, lightening the visual mass and clearing sightlines from the entrance. Visitors now arrive at a central court that functions as a communal activity space. For this court, the designers chose a calm backdrop of white surfaces and greenery, creating a serene counterpoint to the dynamic progression of color that animates the entrance walls.
The two bears, conceived by the artist collective WISHULADA, greet visitors at the main entrance, embodying both ‘Art’ and ‘Eco’ through their recycled materiality, ranging from industrial scrap metal to discarded textiles, and reclaimed plastics. Rendered in shades of blue and orange, the installations come together as a family of five bears scattered throughout the mall. Those eager to see them all can begin by meeting the largest bear stationed prominently beside the directory at the front.
The remaining courts each carry their own distinctive identity. At the far right of the complex, the designers introduced warm terracotta tiles in shades of orange and red, creating a striking atmosphere that contrasts with the adjacent court, where a deep, muted green sets a more contemplative tone. This alternating palette ensures that the experience of moving through the mall feels varied rather than monotonous. On the opposite side, to the left of the building, the design returns to the central theme of the ‘Art Eco Playground.’ Here, a series of ‘balconies’ crafted in timber were conceived as open display platforms, allowing artworks to be viewed from every level.
Descending to the lower level, two key areas define the renovation: the Food Patio and the Showcase. The Food Patio functions as a food court, complemented by an array of dessert and beverage outlets from a wide mix of brands. To reflect this diversity, the design team drew inspiration from the atmosphere of a vibrant marketplace, employing wood and terracotta tiles in warm tones to weave together the individuality of each vendor. In keeping with the Eco concept, recycled milk cartons were repurposed as cladding for the structural columns. The flooring here also calls for closer attention. The tiling pattern runs continuously across the level, but as one crosses into a new zone the tiles subtly shift into brighter hues, gradually highlighting the transition toward the Showcase. This space reinterprets the idea of a contemporary fashion market, distinguished by spherical pendant lights and gently curving canopies that frame each shopfront.
The route described so far may be the one most familiar to visitors, yet the renovation also introduces new highlights on the upper levels. On the third floor, the Beauty & Wellness zone brings together a cluster of beauty and self-care services. Here, columns are adorned with rammed earth patterns that harmonize with parquet flooring and a timber ceiling, creating a calming atmosphere that invites visitors to pause and rest. Moving upward, the fourth floor introduces the Tech Space, where the ubiquitous rows of phone kiosks are reimagined as a design feature rather than an afterthought. Sleek aluminum details lend a sharper, more contemporary edge, while newly designed display cabinets behind the shops are animated with linear LED lighting.
At the very top, on the seventh floor, Little Campus offers a dedicated zone for children’s tutoring schools. Whitespace Connect infused the space with a sense of playfulness by weaving thick, colorful yarn into a large mesh structure, transforming the gaps into images of trees embracing the columns and animals playfully scattered across the ceiling. The installation reflects the designers’ desire to incorporate handcraft into the interior architecture of the mall. This particular work was created in collaboration with locals in Uttaradit.
It remains to be seen how the fully completed Central Chaengwattana will draw back the vitality of its community once every element is in place. From a design perspective, however, it is clear that the renovation does not aim for spectacle. Instead, it seeks to enrich the familiar, making the mall more engaging to walk through, more inviting to linger in, and more memorable as an everyday destination. Beyond their aesthetic role, the courts function as wayfinding anchors, helping visitors intuitively orient and locate themselves within the building.
