Basile Boiffils, Architect, firm J+H Boiffils

How has your firm been involved in the EMQuartier project?

Basile Boiffils - Our agency's involvement with Thailand began in 1994. Mrs Supaluck Umpujh, the client who designed EMQuartier, hired an international consultant to design Bangkok's first luxury mall, the Emporium. My parents won the competition, and from the moment it opened in 1997, the project was a great success, completely changing the face of the then underdeveloped Sukhumvit district. In 2001, when she began studies for the Siam Paragon mall, this client again called on our agency.

How does EMQuartier differ from other malls in Bangkok?

B. B. - EMQuartier is an extension of the Emporium, with three buildings that form one of the city's most important commercial centres. Linked by metro and footbridges to the Emporium, it houses 400 top-of-the-range brands, restaurants, offices, function rooms and an outdoor pedestrian street, just like in Europe. The theme of nature is reflected in the 3,000 m2 terraced garden, with panoramic views over the city. The EMQuartier plant chandelier, created in collaboration with Patrick Blanc, is an unprecedented achievement. However, EMQuartier is not 'green' in the European sense. Reducing energy consumption is not yet a priority, despite our incentives. But attitudes are changing.