Demolition of the Hopewell pillars

[ChristianPFC]

Demolition of the Hopewell pillars

 

The Hopewell project and Sathorn Unique are the most prominent examples of unfinished buildings or construction projects in Bangkok.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_Elevated_Road_and_Train_System

 

My ascent of Sathorn Unique is covered here:

 

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/8889-where-were-these-pictures-taken/

 

Recently, demolition of the Hopewell pillars has begun, so I will share a few pictures I took. I find it very sad, I think they should promote both (Hopewell and Sathorn Unique) as tourist destinations and declare them to national monuments, or monuments of corruption and mismanagement. Hopewell could even be considered a piece of art. These structures have been called “Stonehenge of Thailand”, some have a resemblance to Japanese Torii arches.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/333657/hopewell-pillars-ousted-by-red-line

http://www.prachachat.net/news_detail.php?newsid=1359633761

 

Hopewell Pillars near Lak Si train station:

 

 

I like this “tunnel” view, where the pillars overlap in perspective to make it look like a tunnel.

 

 

Demolition of Hopewell pillars near Lak Si train station:

 

 

 

The concrete is cut by diamond wire saw.

 

 

 

When searching for information on the internet, I found this thread:

 

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=410940&page=3

 

which contains a picture of one finished segment of the Hopewell project. With the help of a poster there and satellite pictures from google maps, I could locate it:

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=13.836965,100.555222&daddr=Bangkok,+Thailand&hl=en&sll=13.836973,100.555235&sspn=0.001284,0.002642&geocode=%3BFRtn0QAdSCX9BSnzYQ0oMmAdMTHHD4uFY4VFNg&t=h&mra=mift&mrsp=0&sz=19&z=19

 

Needless to say, I had to go there before it is gone!

 

 

 

 

 

This is not a graffiti, it’s a bas relief, carved into the concrete up to 2 cm deep.

 

 

Thor’s hammer?

 

 

There is some interesting architecture. (The Nice, Monte Carlo, Royal Vienna)

 

 

 

The day is rounded off by a barbecue at a friend’s place, many thanks to the host and other guests!

 

The collapse of Hopewell pillars last year must have involved an unfinished similar structure (similar to the one complete segment a few pics above).

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/lite/topstories/282425/hopewell-collapse-sparks-probe

http://2bangkok.com/forum/showthread.php?3687-Hopewell-BERTS-Viaduct-collapse/page2

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/537372-hopewell-train-pillars-collapses-for-a-stretch-of-150m-bangkok/

 

From satellite pictures and description in the links above, I assume it was here:

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=13.841567,100.557853&daddr=Bangkok,+Thailand&hl=en&sll=13.841536,100.557856&sspn=0.001284,0.002642&geocode=%3BCWvm4R5vi3xtFRtn0QAdSCX9BSnzYQ0oMmAdMTHHD4uFY4VFNg&t=h&doflg=ptk&mra=mift&mrsp=0&sz=19&z=19

 

As far as I can see, they only demolish the western part of Hopewell pillars. There are 2 sites for demolishment I know of, at current speed it could be done within a year’s time.

 

While Hopewell is demolished, there is a new skytrain line and extension of MRT above ground in construction in northeastern Bangkok and Nonthaburi, parts are complete, I drove past in a taxi several times.

 

Some more pictures from that weekend:

 

Fried crickets (with Maggi sauce and pepper), about 100 m north of Central Latprao. They are fresh, the live crickets are kept next to the stall, in front of the picture. (And I wouldn’t throw out of bed either of the two boys to let my cat in.) Delicious, and they don’t stick between your teeth like the larger ones do!

 

 

My first trip to Elephant Building (Pahonyothin Soi 26):

 

 

Former “Magic Land” entertainment park, with only the Disney-like castle (which is inspired by Neuschwanstein in Bavaria) left:

 

 

The full album is here: http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/library/Hopewell%20Project%20Bangkok?sort=9&page=1 (probably the most extensive photographic documentation of the Hopewell demolition)

[Guest fountainhall]

So those pillars are finally coming down! For those who have seen them line the roadside en route to Don Muang for many years and are not acquainted with their history, here is a potted version. Needless to say, it involves massive corruption, double-dealing, constantly changing governments and all the other wheeler-dealer activities inherent in large-scale construction projects here. As one blogger rather nicely summed it up, the pillars are “a constant reminder of schizophrenic planning that came to naught.”

Hong Kong’s Hopewell Holdings, a firm specializing in major infrastructure projects, was given approval in 1990 to construct and operate the 60 km “Bangkok Elevated Road and Train System” (BERTS). This was to include a highway to Don Mueang, the main line railway north, a light rail shuttle from the airport to Hua Lamphong station and a shopping centre corridor – all elevated over local traffic. This would follow the existing rail lines north. The project was to be completed by December 1999 at a cost of Bt. 80 billion (then worth US$3.2 billion).

In the usual Thai enthusiasm, though, huge problems were evident at the outset. The first was that absolutely no feasibility study had been undertaken. Then construction was begun before the government had secured ownership of the land! Corruption and talk of shady land deals continued to surround the project, it was being overseen by far too many committees, Hopewell had to deposit a bond guarantee of Bt. 2.8 billion (into whose pockets, one is tempted to wonder), planning was patchy and inefficient, and bad relations existed between the various parties. Then, despite the contract with Hopewell, a second party was given a concession to build a toll road to Don Mueang. That project was completed as Hopewell’s pillars were still being constructed, even though some of the Tollway’s access roads impacted on the Hopewell ‘concession’.

The pillars that Hopewell eventually constructed were nicknamed “Bangkok’s version of Stonehenge!” However, certain ministers and civil servants were determined to kill the project, and the cabinet duly cancelled it in 1998.

To justify their action, the government’s spin doctors let it be known that Hopewell was in such a bad financial position it could not fund completion. This was nonsense! Then there were allegations that the concrete in the pillars was substandard. Despite all that, the State Railway of Thailand wanted to revive the project. When Thaksin became Prime Minster, he agreed. Later, in 2005, he finally issued a Report “verifying” the fact that the construction was sub-standard! Any hope of the project continuing in any form was finally killed.

Amid claims and counter claims, in 2008 Hopewell was finally awarded the return of its cash bond plus Bt. 11.8 billion compensation and interest at the rate of 7.5% per annum. That has still not be paid and is still under appeal!

Yet, a report in the Thai language newspaper Prachachat Thurakij in June 2005 had stated that tests run by the Asian Institute of Technology showed that 1,560 of the Hopewell pillars were indeed usable in their existing state. Only 135 pillars required some repair. They could then be used for between 80 – 100 years and save the government Bt. 1 billion for the Hua Lamphong/Rangsit commuter line. Instead, Bt. 200 million will now be needed to demolish the ones which remain.

A timely warning to foreign companies wishing to do business on Thai government projects! And a timely reminder to all Thais that corruption on this sort of scale hits them where it ought to hurt - in their pockets!

[ChristianPFC]

I think you don't need to be a construction engineer to take one look at the pillars and conclude that they are usable. Even those unfinished that have the bare iron exposed look fine.

 

As it looks now, they only demolish the western line of pillars and leave the eastern line (and the central line?), just to get enough space for the skytrain line.