Airport designer rejects plagiarism claim

An artist’s rendering shows the interior of Suvarnabhumi Terminal 2 as designed by DBALP Consortium.

Duangrit Bunnag, the renowned local architect who won the bid to design Suvarnabhumi airport's second terminal, has denied plagiarising the work of a Japanese architect.

"I didn't copy anyone else's work. Those who follow my work will know that I created a similar image in my previous designs, such as for a hotel in Sri Lanka," Mr Duangrit told The Standard, a local online news portal.

Mr Duangrit made the comment as posts began circulating online that he had copied the work of Kengo Kuma, arguing that the design of the terminal resembled Mr Kuma's Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum in southern Japan.

DBALP Consortium was named a joint winner of the design contest along with Nikken Sekkei, EMS Consultants, MHPM, MSE and ARJ Consortium.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) invited private firms to take part in the contest, with an estimated construction cost of 35 billion baht and a design cost of 329 million baht. Construction is expected to begin next year, with the new terminal due to be fully operational by 2021 or 2022.

The second terminal is part of the third phase of development at Suvarnabhumi.

The contest has drawn public attention because SA Group, comprising SPAN Consultants and Sign-Tech Engineering Consultant, was originally named the winner and DBALP was second runner-up.

But an AoT committee disqualified SA Group after it failed to submit the original quotation for the cost for the design given by AoT. This was required in the terms of reference as crucial for compliance purposes.