Heatherwick Studio’s first project in Thailand aspires to rehumanise urban space through, Hatai, a lantern-inspired mixed-use development in the heart of Bangkok. The project replaces the old Narai Hotel site with a vision deeply rooted in Thai cultural memory, urban regeneration and future-forward sustainability.
The development comprises two tower forms, home to a Six Senses hotel, a revived Narai Hotel, wellness spaces and event facilities— but it’s the approach to public life that sets Hatai apart. At ground level, Heatherwick introduces a “lantern quarter”: 5,200 m² of public realm that includes a restored canal, native landscaping, shrine, market, children’s spaces and open-air walkways — all designed to rekindle the social rituals that define Bangkok’s street life.
The architecture draws from the form of traditional Thai Lanterns, the buildings feature stacked rounded volumes with textured surfaces that softly diffuse light and produce a warm, luminous silhouette. Thomas Heatherwick explains, “We wanted to … connect with the country’s heritage in a deeper way and build detail, feeling and story back into the city”
