If you haven’t been to Sathorn for a while, then you likely wouldn’t know that the Sathorn Road’s popular Robot Building is no more. The structure is now wrapped entirely in giant construction canvas and is clearly undergoing major renovations.
It’s sad to see one of Bangkok’s most iconic buildings go. Even worse, we didn’t even get a chance to bid our last goodbyes.
The Robot Building first opened in 1986 and served as the headquarters of Bank of Asia (later acquired by UOB). It was designed by celebrated architect Sumet Jumsai Na Ayudhaya, who was inspired by his son’s robot toys. The 20-story building thus boasted steel nuts on its sides, circular windows that looked like half-open eyes, and lightning and communication rods that resembled twin antennae. The avant-garde exterior was so unique that it made its mark on Thai architectural history.
According to the Bangkok Post, Sumet issued his concerns about a plan to remodel the iconic modernist structure into “yet another office building.” UOB, the financial institution that owns the building, sent us a statement, saying it is renovating the Robot Building “with a focus on environmental sustainability and employee well-being” and the renovations are “carefully planned to balance the need for modernization with respect for the building’s original structure.” UOB intends to come up with a “greener’ structure that will align with the Green Mark guidelines of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), and that involves installing double-glazed glass and a number of sustainability-focused facilities so the entire building consumes 15 percent less energy than the original design. At the time of writing, UOB hasn’t revealed the building’s new design.
Renovations are set to be completed in 2025. Will it still look like a robot? That we don’t know.