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Shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand
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 Exterior of CentralWorld in 2023 | |
| Location | Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand |
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| Coordinates | 13°44′49″N 100°32′23″E / 13.74694°N 100.53972°E / 13.74694; 100.53972 |
| Address | 999/9 Rama I Road |
| Opening date | 3 December 1989; 35 years ago (1989-12-03) (World Trade Center) 23 December 2002; 22 years ago (2002-12-23) (Central World Plaza) 8 November 2007; 17 years ago (2007-11-08) (CentralWorld) |
| Developer | Central Pattana |
| Owner | Crown Property Bureau TBF4 |
| Architect | Altoon + Porter Architects LLP |
| No. of stores and services | 495 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 7 |
| Total retail floor area | 187,046 square metres (2,013,346.39 sq ft) |
| No. of floors | 7 |
| Parking | 7,000 |
| Public transit access | |
| Website | centralworld |
Other facts and statistics about CentralWorld:
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CentralWorld (Thai: เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์, styled as centralwOrld), is a shopping plaza and complex in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the ninth-largest shopping center in the world. The complex, which includes a hotel and office tower, is owned by Central Pattana. In 2006, after three years of design and renovation, CentralWorld was expanded to 550,000 m (5,900,000 sq ft) of shopping mall and 830,000 m (8,900,000 sq ft) of remaining complex, topping nearby rival Siam Paragon in terms of size.
History
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Original name
The mall opened in 1989 as the World Trade Center. Central Group acquired the property in 2002 from the Wang Phetchabun group and changed the name to Central World Plaza. In 2007, it was renamed CentralWorld. It is on leased Crown Property Bureau land. In its acquisition, the Central Group's property development arm, Central Pattana (SET: CPN), secured a new 30-year lease on the site.
Renovations
Anticipating the opening of the luxury Siam Paragon, CPN started massive renovations and expansion on the site in 2002. The original mall structure was 300,000 square metres (3,200,000 sq ft), and the expansion plans boosted that to 430,000 square metres (4,600,000 sq ft). Though work was not yet complete, CPN held an official opening of the renovated complex on 21 July 2006; it was expected to be fully operational by October 2006. By May 2007, the mall was fully opened, but some parts of the upper floors remained vacant. Major exterior construction was ongoing on the hotel in the northwest corner of the mall and the extension floors to the ZEN department store in the southeast corner.
The renovated complex aimed to attract 150,000 customers per day, spending more than 7 billion baht annually. It marketed itself as a middle-class shopping center, as opposed to the upper-class Siam Paragon.
Offices at CentralWorld
Renovations included completing an unfinished office tower, work on which had been halted in 2003, with only 39 of the planned 63 floors completed. Construction resumed in 2003, expanding the tower to a 45-story, 204-metre (669 ft) design, with the completed tower opening in December 2004.
2010 fire damage
CentralWorld was temporarily closed on 19 May 2010 due to severe arson damage, which occurred as troops dislodged protesters from the area during the 2010 political protests. The adjoining Zen section suffered massive damage from rioters.
The Isetan portion was reopened soon after. Following repairs, a large part of CentralWorld was reopened on 28 September that year, with the Zen section reopening on 6 January 2012.
Mall renovations 2016–2018
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Renovations included enhanced circulation and simplified navigation, the addition of an escalator in zone A, enhanced linkage to the BTS Skytrain, and opening of the second Apple Store in Thailand.
2019 fire and ZEN renamed to Central
During the evening rush hour on 10 April 2019, a fire that apparently started elsewhere spread to the eighth floor via air vent pipes, and the mall was ordered evacuated. At least two people, both employees, were reported to have died after jumping from the building.
That December, after three decades, ZEN was renamed to Central after a major revamp costing 1 billion baht.
Isetan closure and subsequent renovation
On 14 March 2020, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings and CPN jointly announced the closure of Isetan Bangkok at CentralWorld as of 31 August 2020, due to the contract expiration.
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Zone A new atrium
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The atrium was removed from levels 1–2
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Open shop-front design on level 2
Location
CentralWorld is located in the Pathum Wan District, at the Ratchaprasong intersection, in one of Bangkok's busiest shopping and tourism districts.
Facilities
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CentralWorld Square
Outdoor activity square covering an area of 8 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi). In 2020, the Apple Store opened here.
CentralWorld Avenue
Six-lane road that circles the complex, linking Rama I Road and Ratchadamri Road.
Centara Grand at CentralWorld
Main article: Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention CentreAnchors
Main anchors
- Central Department Store – previously known as Zen, it is the largest branch of the eponymous chain, at 50,000 square metres and seven stories.
- SF World Cinema – upscale cinema complex located on the seventh floor, it has a total of 15 screens and 800 seats. The venue hosted the 2007 and 2008 Bangkok International Film Festival.
Key tenants
- Apple Store – Apple's second store in Thailand
- SuperSports – large sporting equipment store
- PowerBuy x B2S Think Space – flagship branch of the Thailand-based bookstore and electronics store chain
- Tops Food Hall – premium-level supermarket
- SB Design Square – flagship store of S.B. Furniture
- Toys R Us – Thai flagship location of the American toy store
- TK Park (Thailand Knowledge Park) – complex that includes a library, internet centres, a 4D movie theatre, and other media facilities. It is owned and operated by the government of Thailand.
- Genius Planet – children's playground, arcade, and various learning centres
- Uniqlo – first Uniqlo store in Thailand
- H&M – clothing store
- The Rink Iceskate – indoor ice skating rink located in the Forum zone on the second floor
- The ZONE by Fitness First – fitness centre
- Kinokuniya – first Kinokuniya store in Thailand
- Nitori – first Nitori store in Thailand
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Apple Central World (2022)
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Level 1 jewellery & watches (2011)
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Level 1 Zone E water feature (2011)
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Level 3 (2011)
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Level 4 Zone B (2011)
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Level 5 Zone A (2011)
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Level 6 Zone C Genius Planet (2011)
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Level 7 Zone A restaurants
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Level 7 SF World Cinema
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Level 7 Central Food Hall
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Former tenants
- King Power – Thai duty-free store that used to operate on the sixth floor of Zone A. It closed in June 2006 to make way for the expansion of the ZEN department store (now Central Department Store).
- Major Cineplex – former cineplex boasting six screens and 24 bowling lanes. It closed after SF World Cinema opened, in January 2008.
- Centerpoint at CentralWorld – complex of shops, restaurants, game zones, and entertainment venues on level 7. It closed in August 2012 to make way for the Edutainment Zone.
- Isetan – only branch of the Japanese department store chain in Thailand. It has six stories, with items ranging from apparel to domestic goods. It closed in August 2020.
See also
- List of shopping malls in Bangkok
- List of shopping malls in Thailand
- List of largest shopping malls in Thailand
- List of the world's largest shopping malls
Further reading
- Taylor, Jim (March 2011), "Larger Than Life: 'Central World' and its Demise and Rebirth – Red Shirts and the Creation of an Urban Cultural Myth in Thailand" (PDF), Asia Research Institute Working Paper Series (150)
Notes
- ^ Annual Report 2011, p. 55.
- Annual Report 2011, p. 48.
- Form 56-1 2011, p. 20.
- Asia Web, CentralWorld
- Jitpleecheep, Sukanya. "Plenty of new offerings in store" Archived 12 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Bangkok Post Year-End 2002 Economic Review (retrieved 21 July 2006).
- Nguyen, Lan Anh (21 July 2006). "Unfinished CentralWorld to hold grand opening", ThaiDay (print edition).
- Thai News Agency (21 July 2006). Thailand's largest shopping complex CentralWorld opens July 21 Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, MCOT (retrieved 22 July 2003).
- Bangkok Highrises – Central World Tower
- "CentralWorld on verge of collapse". Bangkok Post. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010.
- "CentralWorld costs Zen fire at B1.3bn". 21 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010.
- "CentralWorld: Deadly blaze at Bangkok shopping complex", BBC News, 10 April 2019.
- "Fire kills 2 at CentralWorld in Bangkok", Bangkok Post, 10 April 2019.
- "Fire at Bangkok shopping mall kills at least two, injures 16", Reuters, 10 April 2019.
- Jintamas Saksornchai, "2 Mall Staff Likely Jumped to Death While Aiding Fire Rescue: Official", Khaosod English, 11 April 2019.
- Jitpleecheep, Pitsinee (29 November 2019). "Central earmarks B10bn for revamp". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- https://www.prahchachat.net/marketing/news-432211
- "Isetan to exit Thailand after 28 years". Bangkok Post. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
References
- Central Pattana (21 March 2012). Annual Report 2011 (PDF). Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- Central Pattana (5 April 2012). Form 56-1 2011 (PDF) (in Thai). Retrieved 23 May 2012.
