Living and dining area of the Royal Suite
side overlooking the city and the other the swimming pool and landscaped garden.
The building is a slab and beam reinforced concrete structure, the basement and service area being sunk some 4.50 metres below ground level. The roof of the banqueting hall ball- room is a folded plate concrete con- struction, from which hangs some 5 tons of moveable partitions.
The spacious lobby takes up about one third of the ground floor area and is dominated by a wide half circular stairway which spirals up from the lower lobby of shopping arcades and night-club to the ballroom and restau- rant level at first floor. At ground level are the main lobby lounge, coffee shop, bar and offices.
The decor of the lobby has a basic- ally international theme with only an overtone of Thai style in the special carpet design. The modern, geometric- ally-shaped upholstered furniture was made in Europe by Artifort.
A coffered ceiling follows the structural system of the slab above. In each coffer hangs a specially designed lighting fitting.
A feature of the grand stairway is a
Far East BUILDER, March 1971 Page 23
gigantic bas relief done by Hong Kong artist, Chung Yee, which acts as a visual transition between the lobby and the ballroom level above.
Natural materials
For the ground floor coffee shop the decor was developed from pro- vincial themes using humble materials but in a modern way. The result is an informal and inviting atmosphere. All the finishes are of natural materials and handwoven textiles, except the carpet which is a refined version of the 'indoor/outdoor' type to withstand heavy wear.
The first floor ballroom holds 1,000 people and is called the Crystal Ball room. Its ceiling lighting is a series of crystal prisms which are in fact of plastic, fabricated in Hong Kong. Ap- propriately the decoration is more festive in this room, the feature being the Thai silk prints.
As a speciality restaurant, the grill room on the first floor overlooking the pool and landscaped garden, features gourmet cooking, a great part of which takes place in the restaurant itself. Carts, containers and various acces- sories are chosen to be decoratively
part of the overall interior design scheme, and as much banquette seat- ing as possible has been provided to give each group privacy without being isolated. The materials in this room are again natural and in a combination which produces a warm and congenial mood. The lighting is a development of 12-volt components.
The Cavern night-club, which is in the basement, has a completely non- Thai theme. Local bricks and tiles have been used to accentuate the under- ground, cavernous atmosphere. The light fittings in brass are clustered above the dance floor and help to identify the change in areas and acti- vity. A beautiful painting of a cavern/ grotto by Princess Marsi Paribatra hangs in the entrance to the club.
Accommodation
Bedrooms Ballroom Grill room Coffee shop
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1,000 persons 150 seats
145 seats
Ground floor bar
60 seats
Cavern night-club
135 seats
Total cost of construction of the new Bangkok Sheraton was approxi- mately 109 million bahts.
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