Bangkok discotheque Siwilai Radical Club turns trash into treasure

An impressive five tonnes of plastic waste was used to create the interiors of this orange-toned nightclub and restaurant in Bangkok.

Siwilai Radical Club’s owner brought in a trio of names to help craft the Thonglor ‘discotheque and dining’ hub – Indonesian architects Sidarta And Sandjaja, Bali-based plastic upcycling specialist Space Available Studio and MORE, a Thai producer of sustainable materials.

All waste plastic was sourced from across Thailand, aiming to ‘amplify circularity in Bangkok using culture as the vehicle of change’, says Space Available Studio. The compressed industrial plastic waste has been used to create Siwilai Radical Club’s hazard-orange exterior – which refers to the colours of 70s-era discotheques – and to wrap the 500 sq m interior in the same vibrant hue. Some furniture is also made from the waste material.

Siwilai Radical Club is a day-to-night hangout: the club is open during the day for cold brew coffees, breakfast sandwiches, and ‘new age Thai’ food. On Wednesdays to Saturdays, visitors can head straight to the sprung checkerboard dance floor for disco, hip hop and house.

In true 70s style, a giant disco ball crowns the nightclub outfitted with a sound system from Norwegian sound studio NNNN and speakers by NYC-based Devon Turnbull, aka Ojas.

Meanwhile, the dining area has a softer aesthetic, with warm woods and light tones – and just a hint of orange. It also has its own unique sound, produced from a JBL4350.

Thailand has been a significant destination for the international plastic waste trade, importing around 250,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually from wealthy Western countries like Germany, the US and the UK. This form of ‘waste colonialism’ has had a devastating effect on local ecosystems, beaches and the health of citizens. The practice will be banned in Thailand from 2025.