Bangkok will soon lose another historic modernist building, with the Dusit Thani hotel—as we know it—to officially close as of June 2018.

A press release from the Dusit Thani hotel and property-development company confirms operations will continue as normal until Jun 30 2018, after which the building will be demolished to create a "mixed-use" complex, including a renovated hotel, serviced apartments, office space, retail space and dedicated green space.

A partnership with Central Group, the mixed-use real estate development is worth B36.7 billion (about US$1.05 billion)—for comparison, that's about B16 billion more than Mahanakhon. 

The mega-project was first announced last week, raising fears the historic modernist hotel would get razed.

Following criticism from netizens, Dusit Thani has stated that it has plans to provide projects for its staff within the Dusit Thani chain during the construction period, ensuring that no one will lose their jobs. The hotel has also reiterated that this is not the "closure" of Dusit Thani, but rather a reconstruction to introduce a new, exciting version of the hotel that hopes to bring more value to Bangkok and Thai people. 

Built in 1970, Dusit Thani represents a charming blend of vernacular (gilded mosaics, pointed arches) and mid-century modern architecture. Since The Siam Intercontinental was razed to make way for Siam Paragon, the Dusit has become one of the last remaining hotels of the sort. The Indra Hotel on Ratchaprarop Road is another, but is not nearly as well preserved, surrounded as it is by billboards and telephone lines.