Siam Center, from Shopping Mall to Ideaopolis

Bangkok (Thailand) – October 3, 2013 – Siam Center is not anymore a shopping mall. Siam Center is an “Ideaopolis” a center of trend-setting ideas, of imagination and boundless design creativity that adheres to nothing but the supreme aestheticism of art, fashion, technology and lifestyle.

With a budget of over 1.8 billion baht and a deal with over 200 brands for the new phenomenon of “exclusive collaboration”, Siam Center is revolutionizing the global retail scene and elevating Bangkok into the world’s leading trade and business center.

Bangkok – Siam Piwat, owner and developer of Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery and Paradise Park, has premiered on January 11, 2013 the “new look” of Siam Centre – a phenomenon deemed “retail revolution” that elevates Bangkok into the international center of trade and business.

Mrs. Chadatip Chutrakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Group, reveals, “The renovation of Siam Centre this time isn’t just about external facelift. It’s a retail revolution that will usher in the new age of retail business with new definition and new format. Siam Piwat is determined to establish a new chapter in the Thai retail history by premiering the latest retail prototype that would elevate both Siam Center and Bangkok into the world’s influential shopping and tourism center. Siam Center vies to attract both Thais and international visitors to come and experience “The Most Powerful Retail Phenomenon” that happens for the first time in the whole world.”

The new concept “Ideaopolis” – a center of trend-setting ideas

According to Mrs. Chadatip, Siam Center is not anymore a shopping mall. Siam Center is an “Ideaopolis” – a center of trend-setting ideas, of imagination and boundless design creativity that adheres to nothing but the supreme aestheticism of art, fashion, technology and lifestyle. It will be the center of new ideas and new designs from all over the world.

Siam Center’s biggest facelift begins with a change of the entire floor plan and interiors to serve as a platform for art, fashion, technology and lifestyle. “Concept Shops” are designed as unique art forms where each brand accommodates each unique different space. Besides, Siam Center dedicates a large space totaling 500-1000 sqm for use as flagship stores for leading international brands. Each flagship store comes with glass walls on all four sides, allowing the brand to enjoy the ultimate freedom in decorating the shop to represent the brand’s character to the fullest.

“Nowadays, shopping malls look the same everywhere, whether in Thailand or abroad. This is because all the malls are occupied by similar world-renowned brands, each decorating itself in its own beautiful, unique style, albeit similarly all over the world. This makes it difficult for a shopping mall to create a different atmosphere. Siam Center aims to be the first destination where all brands and shops, whether local or international, be it fashion, lifestyle or F&B, take part in the special phenomenon in customizing a unique décor that corresponds to the key concept of Siam Center, in order to make Siam Center totally different from any other malls,” says Mrs. Chadatip.

New York’s Soho – The Inspiration that must be Exceeded.

SOHO – an iconic neighborhood in New York City where arts & cultures meet style – is the inspiration behind the new concept of Siam Center. “You see a timeless mixture in Soho – it’s vibrant, and that’s because there’re art, fashion and technology, all unveiled in accordance with the powerful and exciting atmosphere. It’s the only place in the world where both global brands and restaurants all modify themselves to blend with the unique character of their atmosphere and surroundings. Meanwhile, each and every brand or store manages to keep intact the concept that makes it special and different. Now it’s time everything we experience at Soho will happen here under the same roof – at Siam Center,” says Mrs. Chadatip.

As Mrs. Chadatip explains, the concept behind the interior design of Siam Center is a combination of “industrial chic” and “ultra-modern” to achieve a contrast of two opposites that stand side by side in harmony through clever manipulation of light and color, shadow and brightness. Contrary to the commonly-practiced norm of using neutral and simple lighting in shopping malls, the lighting of Siam Center comes with light source – bulbs and lamps – which are specially designed for each particular zone. An art piece in themselves, those bulbs and lamps conjure a unique and exciting atmosphere inside Siam Center that reminisces that of a hip hotel. Designing this ground-breaking lighting following the concept laid by Siam Piwat is Urban Architects Co Ltd by the talented Achariya and Waluka Rojanapirom – a reassurance that the style will continue to be popular and modern for a long time to come.

Aside of being the center of artistic, lifestyle and fashion creativity, the new look of Siam Center strives to be the center of new innovations in terms of digital media creations and multimedia. Latest digital and multimedia technologies from all over the world are combined into the interior decoration, with their functions being the key in creating a whole new retail experience of the future. Mrs. Chadatip says, “Siam Center allows visitors to experience the latest technology. Each step in Siam Center marks your journey amid the innovations of the future which you can closely enjoy interacting with these advanced technologies.”

Over 70 million baht are invested in these latest technologies. Inside Siam Center, over 500 LED screens and monitors are installed to conjure up a powerful atmosphere that changes wherever you go, and whenever you are back. These screens also serve as exciting “Moving Art Content” for which Siam Center collaborates with renowned local and international artists. They are also an interactive catalogue/ style guide – a digital closet/ digital stylist from which customers can enjoy choosing latest items from the hottest trends, acquiring information on products and collections, as well as new style ideas through a new enjoyable digital experience.

The Power of Absolute Siam – Only at Siam Center
Aside of the ground-breaking concept, Mrs. Chadatip also shares another revolutionary aspect of the new Siam Center, “Siam Center will become a new excitement in the retail scene through the idea of intimate collaboration between the developers and brand owners in order to ensure all the stores successfully delivers their unique identity and responds to the expectations of the customers who expect certain exclusivity. We call this new concept “Absolute Siam””

All through the past 18 months, our company has studied, researched and discussed with brand owners, from leading international brands to fast-forward fashion brands and Thai brands in order to join hands in channeling this new “Absolute Siam” experience, which has to be uniquely tailored for Siam Center in all levels and also, it needs to be viable. All brands are very excited and we have received incredibly good response. International brands, in particular, agree that Siam Center’s new concept is the most powerful retail phenomenon that has never occurred anywhere before.”

“Absolute Siam” will be the highlight and the key magnet, and it also is the concept that defines most clearly what Siam Center vies to be. “Absolute Siam” is unfolded through five different phenomena, each accentuating a whole new special experience offered by Siam Center.

• All brands and stores, be they local or international, are decorated as a new prototype that has a different look from their other stores.

• Products and services of the stores will be available exclusively at Siam Center, with 20% of the products are designed and stocked only at Siam Center. International brands ride on this exclusive bandwagon by making the latest outings available at Siam Center two weeks prior to other branches. As for restaurants and cafes, a new menu will be exclusively designed for customers of Siam Center while some places will offer a personalized service available at Siam Center in the entire Asian region.

• Together with shops, Siam Center develops new product line they have never done before in order to branch out from their successful signature label. New product lines signify the brand’s growth in terms of depth. This ranges from a fashion brand offering food, beverage and bakery or florists’ service, to expanding into stationary line, for example. Absolute Siam also takes into an eponymous special line of products that is available only at Siam Center.

• The visual merchandising design of shops, as well as display, will follow a whole new concept. Siam Center provides a team of visual merchandising and display consultants to help brands and shops achieve the merchandising design and display that correspond to the shopping mall’s central concept or the marketing activities that brands are taking part in along with the shopping mall.

• Siam Center is the center of creative collaborations, working closely with world-renowned artists and local talents in producing works as well as display and exhibition of rare art. The activity is continuously staged at Siam Center.

• Siam Center reveals “Interactive Communications” to allow visitors to connect and interact with global trends in order to acquire the latest information regarding trends, products, as well as promotions and events through advanced technology.

Siam Piwat – More than just a Developer
Such revolutionary concept behind the new facelift of Siam Center is a phenomenon that reflects that Siam Piwat has already transcended the scale of work entailed with retail developer. It marks another step in pioneering collaboration with brand owners and tenants. Over 1.8 billion baht is invested in the entire renovation, which can be divided into a sum of 1 billion baht. Siam Piwat invested in the entire renovation of the exterior and interior while brand owners and tenants invest another 800 million baht in total in rebranding through designing a whole new different store concept exclusively for Siam Center. A reopening of Siam Center marks not only the shopping mall’s re-launch. Unlike any other case of retail renovation, Siam Center’s re-launch is a premier of the new look of every brand as well.

Besides, Siam Piwat supports merchandising management that leads to another level of brand extension for the future success of the brands. New lines of products are created in collaboration with the shopping mall while stores work closely with Siam Piwat’s team of consultant in coming up with customized designed concept for the place, as well as creating a unique visual merchandising and display. Most importantly, the shopping mall embraces “integrated marketing” – a marketing strategy that responds to this retail revolutionary phenomenon to ensure success for all tenants. The strategy focuses on communications regarding rebranding and the Absolute Siam product line, which is Siam Center’s key magnet, to all communication channels. Siam Piwat successfully pioneers a whole new retail management direction for which developer works with brands and stores to such close degree.

Collaboration – New Positioning Strategy for the Future

The concept of “collaboration” behind Siam Center’s facelift manifests itself in all details inside the building. The collaboration extends to working with world-renowned designers and artists such as Mr. Hirotoshi Sawada –a Japanese artist with extensive resume creating art and sculpture, as well as working with 5-star hotels and famous shops in several countries all over the world. Mr. Sawada has created art pieces displayed inside the shopping mall. Finnish illustrator/ artist Santtu Mustonen is another big name who lends his magic touch to Siam Center, creating illustration that would appear in Siam Center’s latest advertising campaigns as well as exclusive souvenirs prepared for customers.

In addition, some of the country’s iconic figures in art and design team are participating in this historic retail collaboration. One of the country’s earliest animations – “Yod Chao Nai Suklek” by one of the earliest and most revered animation artists Prayoon Janyawong — will be revived onto the giant LED screens on the ceilings while Piya Pasuk, one of the hottest furniture designers in town, is also designing furniture used in central area for Siam Center. Collaboration also serves as Siam Center’s platform for Thai and international designers/ artists to exchange/ showcase their talent.
All of this is proof that Siam Piwat has transcended the level of mere retail developer. Siam Piwat has launched the phenomenon of exclusive specialty concept for the first time in the world.

A New Jaw-dropping Re-launch that the World has been Waiting for!

Fans of Siam Center can be prepared for this whole new jaw-dropping experience! Siam Center’s latest facelifts sees a floor plan that maximizes branding and unique decors.

Floor 1: Fashion Avenue
Comprising of flagship stores of world-renowned brands located within a vast area, decorated in freeform, open-space look as seen in the use of mirror or transparent, curved and square acrylic in decorating shop entrance, Floor 1 feels wide and friendly to walk.

Floor 2: Fashion Galleria
A space dedicated to international fashion and accessories brands, as well as cosmetics, Floor 2 is designed as concept shop. All stores are decorated in clean, black-and-white look while the concept shop is designed in unique, unfamiliar structure.

Floor 3: Fashion Visionary
A mecca for local designers, each brand conjures up a whole new vision for their own shop, most of which are flagship store, for Siam Center. With each brand unveiling its own unique character through their shop decors, the floor is decorated in neutral organic look, using wood, iron and copper.

Floor 4: Food Factory
The latest hang-out venue for the hipsters in the middle of the capital, Floor 4 offers local and international dining selections with all the familiar, famous restaurants coming in a new look, new atmosphere demonstrated through the industrial look of the floor. Floor 4 sets to be a new handout space for those who want to have fun.

Target Customer: Siam DNA

Siam Center’s regular customers are those with Siam DNA – meaning people who are internationed in global trends, who themselves are a trend-setter that loves fashion and art, and who are always in touch with latest technology.

“No matter what project we’re working on, Siam Piwat will study, research and present a project that best responds to the target customers, tailored specially for their specific character and needs. In this, the new facelift of Siam Center is designed to perfectly respond Siam Center’s target customers. Siam Center’s customers are those who come to update trends and they have higher expectation that they will have all the latest offerings here, because Siam Center is widely regarded as trend-setter, no matter what era it is. Those who are looking for average products don’t come to Siam Center. Therefore, this new concept is a reaffirmation that we have always responded to the real customers with real Absolute Siam DNA and we believe this concept cannot be applied to other shopping malls at any other locations, because no such shopping malls have had to deal with such level of expectations from the customers,” says Mrs. Chadatip.

In addition, Mrs. Chadatip also adds, “These days, there’re no needs visitors of Siam Center should come here with an intention to buy something. They know once they step inside Siam Center, they will encounter a new exciting experience, acquire the latest trends from all over the world as well as new inspirations that truly appeal to all groups, genders and ages.”

Thailand to Become a Key Player in International Retail Scene
“I would really love to see Thailand stepping into the forefront of in international trade and retail scene and this is why Siam Center needs to pioneer the use of such innovative ideas for the first time – it will be a prototype that influences retail developers to think again, do again, and do even more, in order to be a model for the development of shopping malls all over the world,” says Mrs. Chadatip.

“We always hear how Thai people desire to see Bangkok as a center for shopping like New York, London or Hong Kong and now it’s time we proudly tell everyone to turn around and look at Bangkok, to see how an advanced center of shopping should be,” she concludes.

For more information, please contact:
Public Relations Department, Siam Piwat Co.,Ltd.
Tel 02 -658-1000 ext 2262 or 2271
Pornvadee Pongsatit (Mint) 0813736076 pornvadee.p@supremo.co.th
Supris Netekien (Boss) 0845557273 supris.n@supremo.co.th
Sireetorn Niyomsen (Koi) sireetorn.n@supremo.co.th

First published at TravelCommunication.net