Sathorn Sign made with 1,000 CDs

Project Title: Unwasted Memories

Condition: Built

Date: 06/2020

The "Sathorn Sign" is an annual installation located at the Bhiraj Tower near Surasak BTS station in Bangkok. The low-rise office campus is part of the real estate development by the Bhiraj Bhuri group. This project, in particular, breaks free from the typical cookie-cutter approach to high-rise buildings in heavily congested areas.

The property was transformed from an aging warehouse complex into contemporary office spaces, thoughtfully retaining much of the original structural framework while preserving significant green zones, fostering a harmonious blend of heritage and modernity.

The design embodies the concept of “Freedom to Think,” emphasizing the transformative potential of revitalizing the old and obsolete into something fresh and inspiring. It advocates for a shift in corporate culture toward one that is more open, collaborative, and community-oriented, creating spaces that encourage interaction and nurture a sense of belonging.

The compact disc (CD) once stood as a trusted and durable medium for data storage, preserving both information and memories. However, in today’s digital landscape, CDs have largely been supplanted by more convenient alternatives like cloud storage, reflecting the ongoing evolution of how we archive and access our digital lives.

CDs have become relics of the past that people rarely use. Numerous old CDs and DVDs found in the office were collected and meticulously categorized based on the variations in their reflective color grading. Inspired by their unique physical properties, we chose to repurpose these once-valuable objects as the primary materials for the installation, giving new life to discarded media through creative reuse.

Using the facade of Bhiraj Tower at Sathorn as reference, we developed a parametric design pattern based on the repetitive arrangement of discs. The vibrant, reflective holographic surfaces of the CDs enabled dynamic interactions with light and shadow. By suspending the discs on a framed structure and varying their rotational angles, we created a visually engaging installation that plays with perception and environmental lighting conditions.

Each disc was mounted on a pivot point at its center, allowing horizontal rotation to dynamically catch and reflect light. The CDs were arranged in a serrated pattern reminiscent of fish scales, optimizing spatial efficiency while minimizing overlap. This arrangement also enhanced structural stability and provided natural wind resistance for the installation.

Design typology

Consequently, the installation’s natural aesthetic evolves with the viewer’s perspective, ambient lighting, time of day, local activity, and the gradual aging of materials, infusing the piece with a dynamic palette of rich, shifting colors.

In the evening, the letters come alive as light from behind the pillars filters through the perforations in the CDs, reflecting and refracting off their surfaces to unveil a hidden, shimmering beauty for passersby wandering through the campus.

Credits:

In collaboration with Conscious

Conscious is a visual communication design studio based in Bangkok. They treat design just like equations and riddles. Their methodology in solving them varies depending on your preferences and impressions. Only one aspect that differs between the two is that design has no definite solution. Join them to explore the endless possibility of design at https://www.facebook.com/conscious.co.th/