EM District transforms into creative hub for Bangkok Design Week 2025

Showcasing installations from 9 top Thai universities, this exhibition reimagines shopping malls as hubs of art, inspiration and community

EM District, encompassing luxury shopping centres Emporium, EmQuartier, and EmSphere, has launched a pioneering art initiative as part of the Bangkok Design Week 2025. 

 

The project features installations by students from nine leading Thai universities, exploring the theme "What Can We Find (and Do) at Shopping Centres Each Day?"

 

The initiative is part of the eighth edition of Bangkok Design Week, organised by the Creative Economy Agency (CEA), under the broader theme "Design Up+Rising". 

 

EM District, positioning itself as the “District of Arts” in the bustling Phrom Phong area, has introduced an Academic Program to support emerging artists and mentor university students.

 



 

Suthavadee Sirithanachai, managing director of EM District, said that the project fosters collaboration between educational institutions, designers, private organisations, and government agencies. 

 


"Our goal is to prepare the next generation of creative professionals with industry-ready skills,” she said. 
 




Participating students received mentorship from industry experts, including The Head and The Heart Studio, a specialist branding design studio, as well as Simon Pillard, creative director at The Mall Group, and Theeranop Wangsillapakun, founder of TNOP DESIGN.

 

Installations of note are:

"Here, We Stay Young Everyday": Assumption University's Faculty of Architecture and Design presents an interactive fidget-toy-inspired piece that illuminates upon touch. 

"Here, We Bloom Everyday": Burapha University’s whimsical bubble-themed installation that evokes childhood nostalgia. 

"Here, We Have Side Quests Everyday": Chulalongkorn University's international visual communication design students encourage visitors to discover unexpected "side missions" while shopping. 

 



 

"Here, To Breathe Everyday": Kasetsart University reimagines shopping centres as urban oases, addressing air quality concerns.

"Here, Luckier in Love Everyday": King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang transforms shopping bags into symbols of possibilities.

"Here, We Shine Everyday": King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi presents an illuminated floral display that brightens both day and night.
  



 

Running until February 23 across EM District, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect upon the evolving role of shopping centres – not just as retail spaces but as places of healing, inspiration and community engagement. 

 

Each installation incorporates interactive elements, from mood-affecting colour displays to fortune-telling machines, encouraging visitors to pause and reconsider their relationship with these urban spaces. 

 



 

The exhibition exemplifies Bangkok's evolving creative landscape, where traditional retail spaces are being reimagined as cultural hubs that nurture emerging talent and enhance community wellbeing.

(2025/02/11-00:00)