Open for years, New World was ordered by the Thai courts in the mid 1990s to demolish its top 7 storeys. The extra height was was an unapproved addition to the 4-storey blueprint. Located in the vicinity of Bangkok’s historic quarter, building codes for the area specified strict height regulations to avoid overshadowing the country’s most important landmarks. “Modifications” to plans however were quite common. About a decade later demolition began with business continuing as normal on the first 4 floors. Following a tragic death and injuries in a collapse that sent rubble breaking through several storeys to the open-for-business mall below, the building was eventually shuttered.
With time, the offending floors were removed, and roofless, the building flooded with rainwater. Street vendors and local residents introduced fish to counteract the mosquito problem. The incongruous fish pond was born.
