Architect Duangrit Bunnag has responded to critics who claim his wood-heavy design for new terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport poses a fire risk.

Architect Duangrit Bunnag has responded to critics who claim his wood-heavy design for new terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport poses a fire risk.

“I wanted a design that immediately gives travellers the feeling they’ve arrived in Thailand," says architect Duangrit Bunnag.
“I wanted a design that immediately gives travellers the feeling they’ve arrived in Thailand," says architect Duangrit Bunnag.

Tropical forests inspired the blueprint for the 35-billion-baht building and the aim is to give travellers a feeling of Thailand’s uniqueness, the 52-year-old architect said in an interview. He rejected concerns from the Engineering Institute of Thailand that the structure could be a fire hazard.

“Airports tend to have similar features -- they’re white, cold and metallic,” Mr Duangrit said. “I wanted a design that immediately gives travellers the feeling they’ve arrived in Thailand. It will be a metal structure covered with wood. Different treatments can be applied to the timber to ensure fire resistance.”

Airports of Thailand Plc announced last month that it was awarding the design contract to a bid by the DBALP Consortium, consisting of Duangrit Bunnag Architect Ltd and Japan’s Nikken Sekkei Ltd.

DBALP was the runner-up in the original selection process but the winner, SA Group, comprising SPAN Consultants and Sign-Tech Engineering Consultant, was disqualified for failing to meet all the requirements for sumbission of the cost quotation.

SA Group has challenged the selection and authorities are reviewing the decision of the AoT bid committee.

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