Thailand’s largest retail conglomerate, Central Retail Corporation Ltd. (CRC) is preparing a May 8 grand opening for its 18 billion baht Central Embassy shopping complex on Bangkok’s Wireless Road, on land formerly owned by the British Embassy.
The 37-storey structure includes a mix of 8 floors of retail space and a 30-storey Park Hyatt Bangkok hotel tower, which will incorporate 222 luxury rooms. The façade of the building is paved with aluminium shields and stretches over 400 meters, the longest window facade in Thailand.
Chart Chirathivat, managing director of Central Embassy, said Central Group had taken more than seven years to develop the concept and complete construction of the project.
“We spent 6 billion baht to procure the land and a further 12 billion baht on the main structure and interior of the center, making it the highest investment per square meter in Thailand’s history of retail business,” said Mr. Chirathivat. “We made this investment in order to obtain a flawless masterpiece in the shopping-center world and the magnum opus of Bangkok’s retail business.”
Central Embassy will house more than 200 internationally renowned high-end brand name stores and is expected to draw 50,000 to 60,000 shoppers a day, says Chart.
The company plans to spend 100 million baht on the grand opening of the center, with an additional budget of 200 million set aside for further shopping promotions throughout 2014.
An artist’s rendering shows the completed Central Embassy shopping complex with its unique aluminium façade.
