Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

Bangkok's flagship contemporary art hub. The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, widely known as the BACC, is a large public arts venue at the Pathum Wan intersection in the centre of the city, directly across from the MBK Center and linked to Siam BTS station by an elevated walkway. Opened in 2008 after a long campaign by the city's artists, it has become the main gathering point for Thailand's contemporary art scene.

A striking spiral interior. The building's design centres on a soaring white atrium ringed by curving ramps and balconies that spiral upward through nine floors, an arrangement often compared to New York's Guggenheim. The upper levels hold the main exhibition galleries, while the lower floors are filled with independent bookshops, design boutiques, cafes, a small cinema and studios.

Programming and role. The BACC stages rotating exhibitions of painting, photography, sculpture, installation and new media by Thai and international artists, alongside film screenings, talks, concerts and craft markets. Because entry to the building and most shows is free, it draws a broad mix of students, families and travellers, and it has become an important platform for emerging local talent and social commentary. Performance spaces and an auditorium on the upper and lower floors host film festivals, theatre and live music, so the programme extends well beyond the visual-art galleries.

Visiting. The centre is open daily except Mondays, and its position at one of the city's busiest transit and shopping crossroads makes it easy to combine with Siam Square and the surrounding malls. Lifts and ramps make the galleries accessible, and the air-conditioned interior offers a cultural refuge from the heat and traffic outside. Allow an hour or two to work up the spiral and browse the ground-floor shops and cafes.