When Sofitel So Bangkok decided they wanted to inject colour and fun into their interiors back in 2011, during the early stages of the hotel’s construction, they turned to the master of theatrical design, Christian Lacroix.

Since then, Lacroix has been steadily filling the hotel with original designs that combine French elegance, fantasy and folklore with the Five Elements of oriental philosophy – Water, Earth, Wood, Metal and Fire.

The most recent – and final – masterpiece is a bold and playful mobile in the hotel’s Street Lobby that reflects the unique identity of Sofitel So Bangkok. It comprises a collection of separately hanging wooden pieces fashioned as stylised animals, both real and imaginary – a turtle and a lion, along with a dragon and a phoenix. All are richly decorated with floral and quilt patterns, while forms and colours are used to subtly represent the Five Elements.

Elsewhere, Lacroix’s “Tree of Life” emblem encapsulates all of the five elements. Overflowing with a rainbow of colour, the “Neo Arbre de Vie” is an Asian-inspired reinterpretation of an ancient symbol of nature found in both the East and West.

Working with local Thai designer Pongthep Sagulku, Lacroix has also designed the hotel’s executive lounge. Its interior features wallpaper with an eclectic interplay of images and motifs of old Siam and 19th-century France, as well as an eye-catching stylised mural of women shoppers against a swirling, colourful backdrop, in celebration of high fashion.

The French fashion guru also designed the staff uniforms, a blend of French and Thai styles, and featuring his elaborate signature patchwork. Each staff member was given three different uniforms to wear on any given day, adding variety and colour to the hotel’s already very vibrant decor.

In other news, Karl Lagerfeld has just been commissioned to design the emblem of the new Sofitel So Singapore…

Christian Lacroix
christian-lacroix.fr

Sofitel So Bangkok
sofitel.com