Vachara Phirom Park

Vachara Phirom Park: flood resilience of urban systems

Located within a dense and flood-prone section of Bangkok’s eastern corridor, Vachara Phirom Park introduces a next-generation landscape approach that links recreation, water management, and climate adaptation. Initiated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the project addresses a specific challenge: insufficient water availability for maintaining public greenery, especially during dry seasons, while also confronting the increasing intensity of rainfall events that threaten urban drainage systems.

To respond to this, the design integrates an underground rainwater storage system beneath the park’s surface—effectively decoupling water retention from recreational space. The ground-level remains fully accessible for community use, including courts, play zones, and shaded seating, while a concealed system below captures and stores excess runoff. This stored water is reused for irrigation and greywater functions, creating a self-sustaining hydrological loop that exemplifies smart urban water stewardship.

A key landscape feature, the Water Square, serves as both a flood buffer and a visible educational space. During heavy rains, it temporarily retains water, allowing natural infiltration and delayed drainage. During dry periods, it functions as a public plaza. In doing so, Vachara Phirom Park embodies the dual-function design philosophy of climate-resilient cities—absorbing pressure while delivering social and ecological value.

Beyond technical function, the project is envisioned as a prototype for district-level water management in Bangkok. It is a testbed where urban infrastructure, ecological function, and public life intersect. It offers not only a recreational environment, but also a living classroom where residents, students, and international observers can witness and learn about neighborhood-scale resilience strategies. As a forward-looking pilot, Vachara Phirom Park aligns with global urban resilience narratives by transforming a standard municipal park into a multifunctional landscape system. It demonstrates that even small-scale interventions can contribute meaningfully to Bangkok’s broader resilience vision.