Turning Underused Space into Bangkok’s
Urban Living Room
‘Prompt Park’ is a project that transforms the space beneath the Sirat Expressway into a temporary public space (Pop-up Park) during Bangkok Design Week 2025. The project explores how these neglected voids could evolve into future public assets. Using AI simulations, it envisions new scenarios for under-expressway areas,
laying the groundwork for real-world design, prototyping, and long-term partnerships with the city.
Project Information ↘︎
Client & Developer
-
Architect
-
Interior
-
Status
Completed
Landscape Area
2829 Sq.m.
Year
2025
Design Director
Yossapon Boonsom
Landscape Architect
Krittapong Yongkiatpanich
Thanawit Pratum
Horticulturist
Jakkrapan Kongklum
Kritsadang Phopluk
Pakapol Chaoyota
Computational Designer
Yuttana Tongkrajang
Paradorn Maneenil
Construction Manager
Ratchapoom Ueamethiyangkul
Project Manager
Sarawut Pensrichol
Napon Jaturapuchapornpong
Graphic Designer
Vipulapas Puapolthep
Photographer
Nawin Deangnul
M&E
SPNP SYSTEMS Part., Ltd.
C&S Engineering
ARNA Landscape
Sak Charoensup
Collaborator
- The Embassy of the Netherlands in Thailand
- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)
- The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT)
- we!park
- IHE Delft Institute for Water Education / Delft University of Technology
- MVRDV
Expressways have become massive structures cutting across cities. They impact the environment and generate more pollution than benefits. They also divide urban areas, and the spaces under them have become neglected, inaccessible, and unused. Revitalizing these under-expressway areas presents an opportunity to transform unused spaces into valuable places. If these unused areas can be developed into public spaces, they could reconnect communities, enhance quality of life across multiple dimensions, and eventually become part of the city’s green infrastructure in the future.
‘Prompt Park’ is a project that transforms the space beneath the Sirat Expressway near Surawong Road into a temporary public space (Pop-up Park) during Bangkok Design Week 2025. The project explores how these neglected voids could evolve into future public assets. Using AI simulations, it envisions new scenarios for under-expressway areas, laying the groundwork for real-world design, prototyping, and long-term partnerships with the city.
The project continues work from the workshop ‘Reimagine Underused Areas as Green Infrastructure’, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Expressway Authority of Thailand, we!park, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education / Delft University of Technology, and leading design firm MVRDV. Together, they aim to transform under-expressway spaces into meaningful urban public spaces.
How can we turn the spaces under expressways into public spaces? Is The question to design concept. During the festival, the area is transformed into a Pop-up Park—an Urban Living Room—inviting people to explore the space, test, share ideas, and co-create ideas through activities and dialogue. The Pop-up Park helps solve the lack of public space in the city by creating areas that people can use for different activities.
The Pop-up Park also features modular urban furniture called ‘Flexniture’, designed to demonstrate how the space can be used. These modules can serve as seating, lounging, leaning, slides, climbing structures for children, or tables. Flexible and adaptable, they enhance comfort, encourage engagement, and align with the lifestyles of local communities.
Prompt Park also invites the public to imagine the future of the space. Building on insights from previous workshops, visitors can submit keywords (prompts) describing what they want the space to be. These inputs are then translated into AI-generated visualizations that illustrate potential ideas and future possibilities — such as edible gardens, learning spaces, markets, co-working areas, and blue infrastructure like water retention zones that help mitigate flooding and enhance the city’s environmental quality.
The planting design is carefully arranged to create comfort, enhance aesthetics, and provide restorative benefits. Certain plants, such as Gardenia siamensis, Gardenia jasminoides, and Asparagus densiflorus, help filter noise and capture dust from the expressway. The entire Pop-up Park is framed by translucent white fabric partitions, forming a semi-enclosed “living room.” These screens create a friendly environment, allow light and shadow to filter through, guide attention, and highlight display screens showing AI-generated ideas for the space’s future.
Ultimately, Prompt Park sparks new ideas for public spaces under expressways. The insights and data generated will inform real design proposals, paving the way for sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant urban green infrastructure.
