"VERTICAL GARDEN" CENTREPIECE OF SIAM PARAGON

       The operators of Siam Paragon shopping mall say the "vertical garden" introduced as part of a plan to expand the mall's recreation facilities has proved to be a hit with shoppers.
       Siam Paragon Development chief marketing officer Kriengsak Tantiphipop said the company believed the mall should serve not only as a place to buy things,but also as somewhere that shoppers and other visitors feel they can go to relax. With this in mind, the companyt plans to add more green space to the mall, he said.
       "We believe our customers will get more enjoyment out of the mall's environment thanks to this greening project, and especially from the vertical garden in front of the shopping complex," Kriengsak said.
       Standing before the garden on the mall's first floor,shoppers would feel as if they were standing at the foot of a mountain, he said. The garden features more than 50 varieties of tropical plant life, including moses and several varieties of fern.
       Siam Paragon Development spent tens of millions of baht on the four-storeyed-high garden, which occupies about 1,000 square metres of space, Kriengsak said.
       The company also spends several million baht every three or four months to introduce new plants to the garden,Kriengsak said.
       Vertical gardens are designed to suit narrow urban spaces, particularly malls and high-rise buildings that need green areas to complement office space or provide public areas,he said.
       "We imagine our mall as a relaxing place for shoppers,not just a venue to sell products The vertical garden is a way for us to give something back to our customers,"he said.
       Siam Paragon receives an average of 120,000 visitors on working days and 150,000 on Saturdays and Sundays.