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Press Release
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok - a reverence for Thai Art
Bangkok, September 2010; Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is making a debut as a
house of one of the largest Thai Art collection ever created and orchestrated for a
hotel in South East Asia. With several hundred art pieces such as paintings,
sculptures, photographs, prints, installations, objets d’art and antiques, the collection
represents the cultural profile of the hotel; the contemporary vision of Thai artistic
tradition and culture blends seamlessly with timeless architecture, tropical garden and
theatrical interior.
The Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok stands on a plot of land rich in Thai history. The
grounds surrounding the hotel used to be part of King Mongkut’s Summer Palace, the
Sa Pathum Palace (Lotus Pond Palace). King Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, is
known in the western world from the story “The King and I”. Sa Pathum Palace was
named so because of an abundance of lotus in the vicinity of Khlong Saen Saeb (the
canal adjacent to the palace) during King Rama IV’s reign. The gardens surrounding
the Palace were famous for its beauty and tranquillity, being home to many rare
plants and flowers as well as birds of all sorts. In the 60’s, part of the palace land was
leased to build the first privately run international hotel, the former Siam
Intercontinental Hotel. In its heyday, this hotel was a local landmark, and its large
gardens were famous amongst Bangkokians and foreigners. In the year 2000, the
Siam Intercontinental Hotel was demolished to give way to the impressive Siam
Paragon shopping mall and the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.
Given the several layers of historical background of the place, to replace the Siam
Intercontinental Hotel in a tighter setting was a daunting task that required
determination and commitment. Inspired by its rich historical and cultural
background, the creative development team, headed by Natural Park PCL, has set up
the concept of the hotel to be an exclusive oasis of urban luxury, as well as a Thai
artistic heritage sanctuary. The aim was to create a premise that blended hotel,
architecture, landscape, interior design and artwork into a single coherent entity.
Driven by a task force of able professional teams, the property was designed as an
enclave defined by fusion of modern and contemporary Thai architecture, with a lush
tropical garden in the middle. The architecture and the interior design were
coordinated to complement each other while reflecting and reinforcing the
prominence of the tropical garden at the core.
Given the strong artistic tradition in Thailand, the country was endowed with several
outstanding artists. Kempinski saw an opportunity in this tradition, and embraced it to
enhance the interior design and cultural backdrop of Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.
The selected artworks, under proper direction, would become the glorious keystones
complementing the hotel’s elegance and taste. Historically relevant and symbolically
coherent, lotus and splashing water were designated to be the source of inspiration for
the art collection. The lotus in Ancient worlds is believed to symbolize the union of
the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The roots are in the earth, it grows in
and by means of water, its leaves are nourished by air, and it blooms through the
power of the sun’s fire. The lotus therefore symbolises the perfection of the fourfold
order of the natural world. The unfolding petals of the lotus also suggest the
expansion of the soul. The lotus represents purity of body, speech and mind, as if
floating above muddy waters of attachment and desire.
More than 30 prominent Thai artists, the majority of which are prestigious award
winners, were invited to create art pieces exclusively for the Siam Kempinski Hotel.
After four years of research, study and development, more than 200 original
paintings, sculptures, and photographs become a reality. Also, countless pieces of
objets d’art and antiques were collected from all over Thailand to complement those
major art pieces. All of them are now displayed in the hotel public areas, rooms and
suites of the Siam Kempinski Hotel.
Wandering into the lobby, besides the
14-meter high pillars, guests will be
greeted by impressive brass lamp cones
or wall sconces, formed like the
decorative fingernails of northern
traditional dancers of Thailand,
performing a gracious welcome dance.
The pattern punched into the brass sheets
depicts lotus bloom in splashing water,
the light of the lamp shines through the
pattern like shadow-play in the front and at the same time, light from the pattern
reflects on the limestone pillars behind. Over 250 of these wall sconces are
strategically distributed throughout the property. A similar lotus pattern can be found
in decorations of the elevator doors and signage, as well as part of the staff uniforms.
In all guestrooms, photographs of lotuses by renowned award-wining photographers
can be found, as well as reproductions of scenes of Thai lives by a famous Thai artist
from Northern Thailand. The originals of these paintings can be found in the Royal
Suites, Presidential Suites and Terrace Suites.
Two of the most representative art pieces of the collection are to be found in the hotel
lobby. With an impressive height of nearly seven meters, the paintings depict celestial
bodhi trees, representing man’s quest for knowledge and wisdom, which will
eventually become a strong moral core and a disciplined mind. There may be
struggles and misery along the way, but these are overcome by moral strength and
unshakeable faith. Choosing a tree as an analogy reflects that we are all essentially
the same, only culture and surroundings differentiate us on the surface.
In the T-Lounge, to the left and right,
two circular paintings have been
symmetrically placed on the walls to
echo each other. These paintings
represent the harmony of life. It could be
interpreted as the co-existence or
interdependence of flora and fauna or the
balance of nature. At first glance, the
viewer can only see two interlocking
trees with many branches and leaves. On
a closer look, it becomes more and more
apparent that the branches and leaves are not just branches and leaves, but double up
as all sorts of creatures, including elephant heads and trunks. One may wonder how
many elephants can actually hide in the pictures.
As a 24 hour art gallery, guests are welcomed to walk around public areas to discover
their favourite pieces of arts and to enjoy the Thai contemporary environment that
reflects the vitality, personality and diversities of Bangkok, the city of Angels.
Editor’s Note:
Siam Kempinski Hotel, the city-resort adjacent to Sa Pathum Palace, is part of
Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group, Kempinski Hotels. Every one of the hotel’s 303
rooms and suites overlooks the surrounding gardens and pools, and 21 rooms have
direct access to the pool. It also houses 98 serviced residences for long-stay guests.
Thai artistic heritage is a key theme of the Siam Kempinski Hotel. The property will
display over 4,000 pieces of art, including over 200 original paintings and sculptures
by Thai artists commissioned by the property.
The Kempinski name is proudly borne by a growing collection of distinguished
properties around the world. Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group Kempinski has built
its reputation on the belief that exclusivity and individuality are key elements of true
luxury. Each year, an increasing number of guests come to appreciate these qualities,
as Kempinski adds new hotels and resorts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and
Asia. While this growth reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand, the
collection will remain a limited one, where exclusivity can be nurtured and
individuality can flourish.
To book or for further information visit
www.kempinski.com/press • www.gha.com
For more information:
Ursula von Platen • Regional Director of PR UK & Ireland
Jee Hoong Tan • Director of Sales & Marketing
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
991/9 Rama I Road Pathumwan • Bangkok 10330 • Thailand
Tel +66 2 162 9000 • Fax +66 2 162 9009
[email protected] • [email protected]