Bangkok shopping mall Siam Center has reopened after 18 months of reconstruction.

Siam Center owner operator Siam Piwat is said to have spent 1.8 billion baht (around US$60 million) on the refurbishment, its fifth since it opened in 1973.

The new design of the mall was inspired by New York’s hip Soho District and Siam Piwat says the concept will be among the world’s most innovative shopping destinations.

One of the features of the rejuvenated mall is the consistent visual identity of the stores. Most stores carry special product selections that are unique and only available at Siam Center.

“Shoppers will gain hundreds of new experiences from all the individual stores that are quite unlike any of their sister stores around the city,” said Siam Piwat CEO Chadatip Chutrakul.

The mall, spread across 40,000 sqm, combines industrial chic and ultra-modern design theme. The lighting has been specially designed and purpose-built as an art piece for its own particular space.

It features interactive digital walls and surfaces as replacement for posters or billboards. It also offers ‘digital stylists’ and even ‘digital closets’ from where people can do ‘digital fittings’.

“Retailing is no longer about retailing but rather about providing a variety of experiences and an arena in which people can be inspired, excited and entertained,” said Chutrakul.

Read more about the Siam Centre concept in our earlier story here.

One of the offerings at Siam Center is the Magnum Cafe on the ground level, which is the fifth in the world after London, Paris, Edinburgh and Jakarta.

GB