ICONSIAM Mixed-use Complex Bangkok Thailand

Thanks to their combination of aesthetic qualities and superior technical performance, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti ceramic slabs lend themselves particularly well to use in complex projects that involve large flows of people, the passage of mechanical means, and daily maintenance.
FMG slabs have been used in numerous international projects, including the recent ICONSIAM mixed-use complex in Bangkok overlooking the Chao Phraya River, designed by Urban Architects.
Founded in 1988, Urban Architects began as an architectural firm and gradually extended and developed its professional activity to interior design and graphic design. Currently, the firm’s portfolio includes projects of all types, from commercial buildings to educational institutions, industrial and residential complexes, as well as graphic, branding, and corporate identity design.
The large ICONSIAM complex in Bangkok is comprised of three main projects: retail (with the two shopping malls ICONSIAM and ICONLUXE, occupying an area of 525,000 m²) and residential, with two skyscrapers of 70 and 52 floors, respectively, for a total of 525 residential units of different sizes, along with a large green space, swimming pool, gym and wellness centre, a common terrace, home theatre, spaces for children, and a river shuttle service. The third project is related to entertainment, represented by a series of attractions and services called the “Seven Wonders” (River Park, Icon Fountain, SookSiam, True Icon Hall, Gold Line Monorail, River Museum Bangkok and Art Synergy Phenomenon), with exhibition spaces, light and water features, an auditorium, and much more, all fully embedded in the local cultural and tradition.
FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti of the Iris Ceramica Group supplied the cladding and flooring materials for both shopping malls, covering a total of 11,000 square metres, and the exterior façade, for a surface of 1000 m².
This choice was dictated by the extremely high coefficient of resistance of FMG porcelain stoneware, which guarantees long-term inalterability and, when used as a ventilated façade, it ensures a series of advantages in terms of prevention, safety of the masonry structure, and energy savings and efficiency.


 
A synthesis between innovation and local culture, between technology and artisan craftsmanship, the two shopping malls ICONSIAM and ICONLUXE convey even in their forms a bond with the traditions tied to the Chao Phraya River. 
Starting from the “krathong”, which are traditional floating decorations wrapped with folded banana leaves, the Urban Architects designers studied the pleated pattern of the façades, with its ultimate expression seen in the façade of the three buildings that comprise ICONLUXE.
The sculptural façade in self-supporting glass 24 meters high stretches 300 meters along the riverbank, creating an evocative symbiosis between the interiors and the surrounding cityscape and riverscape.
Inside ICONSIAM there are 500 shops offering the best luxury brands in fashion, jewellery, and watches.
In a solution that features the best Made in Italy ceramics of the Iris Ceramica Group, for the interiors of the mall, MaxFine White Calacatta marble effect maxi-slabs were chosen, in the 10 mm thickness for the 1500x1500 mm size with bright finish, and in the 6 mm thickness for the 1500x3000 mm size with matte finish.
For the exterior façade cladding, White Calacatta slabs were chosen with the ecoactive material Active Clean Air & Antibacterial Ceramic™.
With ACTIVE, the only floor and wall ceramics in the world that are ISO certified anti-pollution and antibacterial, the external cladding has hydrophilic characteristics, as “the humidity of the air prevents dirt from adhering to them, practically eliminating the need to use chemical detergents for cleaning.”
Simply wiping the surface with water or rain falling over it leads to a further anti-pollution effect that is added to the technical qualities of FMG porcelain: strength, impermeability, and inalterability.