SIDE TRIP 39: Colors and textures

I wonder why they have to design airports to be so cold and impersonal these days. I was at the spanking new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok last week and found the place to be unwelcoming despite, or perhaps because of, its sleek glass and steel ensemble. Even its cold metal chairs do not invite people to stay long. It’s as if they want you to be out of there fast, processed and dispatched as quickly as possible. The same is true with the Hong Kong Airport and to some extent, the Centennial Airport Terminal 2 in Manila. Gone are the places that make you want to stay a little bit more. The last remaining dinosaur is the Changi Airport in Singapore that exudes warmth and a welcoming air -- with its soft lights, carpeted floors, and a profusion of colorful blooms.

(As an aside, the Thai Army overthrew the Thaksin government in 2006, using the allegedly shoddy construction of the Suvarnabhumi Airport as one of the justifications for its coup.)

Hong Kong and Manila Centennial Airports







Changi Airport


But I must admit to being pleasantly surprised upon walking out of the Suvarnabhumi terminal to find that I was going to be riding a pink taxi going into the city! As in, hot pink! Aaaaargh!!!

Only in Bangkok.