Recyclable fabrics over street lights form an urban canopy
Located at Bangkok City Hall Square in Phra Nakhon, High Line Bangkok is one temporary public installation with HAS Design and Research which reconsiders the role of urban infrastructure in the public sphere. Developed by architects Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee, the project uses the existing street light poles as the main structural framework, turning them into a shaded urban space that supports gathering, circulation and public employment.
The intervention addresses a common situation in Thailand’s urban environment, where millions of street lights serve functional purposes but rarely contribute to wider social or spatial activity. The High Line Bangkok suggests an alternative approach with integration recyclable Thai fabrics with the existing infrastructure to create a lightweight architectural canopy that combines shading, ventilation and zoning without introducing permanent construction or additional foundations.
Installed in the city’s Lan Khon Mueang Square, opposite the headquarters of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and adjacent to Wat Suthat Thepwararam, the project responds to the climatic conditions that shape public behavior in tropical cities. Field observations identified a change in daytime employment patterns: during periods of intense heat, activity is concentrated under tree canopies, while at night, cooler temperatures draw people to illuminated areas around streetlights.
more than 100 meters of Thai fabric deliberately bent to form a tube-like curve | all images from SkyGround DOF
Curved fabrics create a changing canopy between day and night
The design connects these two environmental conditions by connecting light poles and existing trees through a suspended fabric structure. That way, it HAS planning and research studio it creates a continuous spatial system that combines infrastructure, vegetation, shade and light. Existing street lights are reused as structural supports, reducing material consumption while showing how everyday urban elements can be adapted for public use.
More than 100 meters of locally recycled Thai fabric are arranged in curved, tubular forms that stretch between poles and trees in the square. During the day, the installation filters sunlight through colored surfaces, creating areas of shadow and introducing changing light patterns throughout the ground level. The resulting dome creates a semi-outdoor environment that encourages occupancy throughout the day. After dark, the fabric elements interact with the existing lighting infrastructure, diffusing and amplifying the lighting throughout the square. The installation shifts from a shading device to a luminous architectural element, extending the pavilion’s role beyond daytime use and enhancing the relationship between light, public activity and urban space.
The geometry of the structure refers to architectural features of the adjacent Wat Suthat Thepwararam. The angular forms are drawn from the profile of the temple roof, while the fish-scale patterns incorporated into the ground treatment refer to traditional roof tiles. These elements introduce local cultural references into a contemporary architectural context.
the flat concrete ground rises to connect with the urban infrastructure
The High Line Bangkok functions as both a site-specific installation and a broader exploration of how existing infrastructure can support public life. Adapting street lights to a spatial context for shade, concentration and environmental comfort, the project examines the relationship between tropical urban conditions, sustainability and urban space. The intervention proposes a model through which existing infrastructure networks can be re-examined as active components of the public sector and not as purely technical utilities.
the temporary public installation blends in with Bangkok’s urban lifestyle
architecture has turned into a playground
new shade and gathering space under the electric light pole
