CentralWorld – Bangkok

CentralWorld is the largest shopping mall and office complex in Bangkok owned by the Central Group. In 2006, after three years of design and renovation, the expanded, 800,000-square-meter mall was opened, topping its nearby rival Siam Paragon in terms of size. The mall is the largest shopping center in SouthEast Asia and larger than Hong Kong's Ocean Terminal.

Facts and statistics

Location : Rama I rd. Bangkok, Thailand

Opening date : July 21 2006

Developer : Wang Petchaboon

Management : Gobchai Jirathiwat

Owner : Central Group

Total retail floor area : 800,000 m x m, 8.6 million ft x ft

Parking : 7000+

No. of floors :

8 (CentralWorld)

51 (The Offices at CentralWorld)

57 (Centara Grand and Bangkok Covention Center) 20 (ZENWorld)

6 (Isetan)

World Trade Center

Originally called the World Trade Center, the eight-story mall was opened in 1990. The Central Group acquired the property in 2002 from the Wang Petchaboon group and soon thereafter renamed it Central World Plaza and in 2005 rechristened it CentralWorld. It is on Crown Property Bureau land. In its acquisition, the Central Group's property development arm, Central Pattana Plc, secured a new 30-year lease on the site.

Mall renovations

Anticipating the opening of the luxury Siam Paragon, Central Pattana started massive renovations and expansion on the site in 2003. The original mall structure was 300,000 square meters. The expansion plans boosted that to 550,000 square meters. Though the work hadn't yet been completed, Central held an official opening of the renovated complex on July 21, 2006, and it was expected to be fully operational by October 2006. As of May 2007 the mall has fully opened but some premises in parts of the upper floors remain yet vacant. Major exterior construction is ongoing on the hotel situated in the northwest corner of the mall and the extension floors to the Zen department store in southeast corner.

The renovated complex aims to attract 150,000 customers per day, purchasing more than 7 billion baht annually. It is marketing itself as a middle class shopping destination, opposed to the upper class-marketed Siam Paragon.

Central World mainly has High Street brands which target the middle to upper-middle class while Siam Paragon has wider range from High Street to Designer brands which target the middle to high class.

Further plans call for a convention center and hotel at the site.

The Offices at CentralWorld

The renovations included completing an unfinished office tower, on which work had been halted in 1999. Only 39 of the total 63 floors had been completed. Construction was resumed in early 2003 with a new 51-floor, 204-meter design. The completed Central World Tower opened in 2005.

Location

CentralWorld is located in Pathum Wan district at the Ratchaprasong Intersection in one of Bangkok's busiest shopping and tourism districts. The Gaysorn shopping center and Big C Ratchadamri are opposite CentralWorld on Ratchadamri Road, as is the Erawan Shrine. Amarin Plaza and the Central Chidlom department store are nearby, as are Siam Paragon, Siam Center, MBK Center, Platinum Fashion Mall and Pantip Plaza.

Transportation

    * Bangkok Skytrain - CentralWorld is located between Chit Lom and Siam stations. An elevated walkway connects the two stations to facilitate foot traffic. Central World also can be accessed from Gaysorn or Big C Ratchaprasong via pedestrian overpasses.

    * Khlong Saen Saeb - Pratu Nam pier is about a 5-minute walk.

Facilities

ZEN Mega Store

ZEN Mega Store

ISETAN Department Store

ISETAN Department Store

Zone of shopping

Central World has 6 main zones that are...

    * A (Atriam): the luxurious zone with curve architecture.

    * B (Beacon): the large court look like Marquise shell.

    * C (Central Court): the linking zone to the other zones,it has 2 of 180 degrees Panorama glass lifts and circular escalators.

    * D (Dazzle): it consists many of brand name department stores and includes linking lifts.

    * E (Eden): the large court with square shape,it has white tall ceiling. And has alternate colors of hanging models.

    * F (Forum): the fashion zone with alternate colors of sidewalk.

Anchors

    * Isetan - The branch of the Japanese department store chain has six storeys of Japanese products, a supermarket and a restaurant.

    * Zen - A department store managed by the Central Retail Corporation.

Retail tenants

- Central Food Hall

- Central Food Hall

There are more than 500 tenants in the complex. As of the renovated mall's grand opening in July 2006, 60% of retail space was occupied, though 90% was expected to be filled by the time the mall became fully operational in July 2007. Approximately 85% of the mall was occupied as of June 2007. Heaven on 7, which is targeted as an indoor/outdoor restaurant zone, was still under construction.

Some of the shops include:

    * Power Buy - A large electronics store selling electrical appliances ranging from refrigerators to home theatre systems. It is located on the fourth floor of the complex.

    * Super Sports - A large sporting equipment shop.

    * B2S - The flagship branch of the Central's Thailand-based bookstore chain, it is spread over three floors and offers international and local publications, books, stationery, office supplies and entertainment medias.

    * Central Food Hall - A premium-level supermarket offering household products, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, butcheries and seafood. There is also a wine cellar, food court and a variety of restaurants and quick eateries within the store.

    * SB Design Square -

    * Toys R Us - The flagship store of the brand in Thailand, offering more than 100,000 square meters of imported toys and attractive gadgets and gizmos for teenagers.

Entertainment venues

- SF World Cinema

- SF World Cinema

    * SF World Cinema - A 15-screen state of the art multiplex includes the 800-seat World Max Screen and luxury "first-class" theatres. The venue has played host to a number of Thai cinema premieres as well as the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival.

    * Centerpoint at Central World - A complex of shops, restaurants, game zones and entertainment venues located on the 7th floor of CentralWorld. It is scheduled to open by August 2008. The complex is developed and operated by Pornpailin Development Co Ltd who has previously operated the Centerpoint at Siam Square.

    * TK Park (Thailand Knowledge Park) - A complex that includes a library, Internet centers, 4D movie theatre and other media facilities. Owned and operated by the government of Thailand.

Hotel

The new Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre, a 5-star hotel is under construction and will open in the first quarter of 2008. The convention hall opened in July 2007.

Refer :

CentralWorld. (2008, May 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:55, May 17, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CentralWorld&oldid=209413270