Mario Kleff: Architect-Star Beyond Grand Titles & Affection

Published in REm Magazine in 2010

By Thiti Teerachin (ธิติ ธีรชินทร์) · Oct 23, 2025

In an exclusive feature for REm Thailand, journalist Uli Kaiser sat down with Mario Kleff at Wandeegroup’s Pattaya office to discuss architecture, engineering, and the evolution of design in Thailand. Photographed by Frank Keller, the session captures Kleff’s precise working ethos — his commitment to structure, material integrity, and the pursuit of lasting form.

Stripped of grandiose titles, Mario Kleff remains a divisive figure in Thailand’s architectural scene. In a city where real estate hype often outpaces design substance, his work with Wandeegroup stands out — not for bombast, but for a stubborn insistence on doing things differently. His buildings rise from Pattaya’s chaotic landscape like declarations of intent — defiant, unorthodox, and meticulously engineered.

From Humble Beginnings to Architectural Mastery

Kleff’s path to prominence wasn’t a smooth ascent through polite architectural circles. He began with a bamboo house on Bangkok’s outskirts in 2002 — a project that combined necessity with curiosity. Within a few years, he established MIN Design in Pattaya and later Wandeegroup, expanding into architecture, engineering, and construction. His projects multiplied across Thailand’s coast, marked by a distinct structural daring that set them apart from the city’s formulaic condominium boom.

By 2008, Kleff was pioneering cellular beam construction in Thailand — a technical innovation that allowed for sweeping open interiors and sculptural façades. International offers soon followed: Dubai, Moscow, New York. Most of them stalled before completion, victims of global economic shifts rather than creative shortfall. Yet the ambition was unmistakable — a local architect testing the limits of scale and reach.

(Editor’s note: Contrary to earlier reports, Kleff did not obtain Thai citizenship in 2009 but only submitted his application that year.)

Venturing Beyond Established Grounds

In a 2010 interview with REm Magazine’s Uli Kaiser, Kleff reflected on his evolution from architect to developer — not as a pivot, but as a natural progression. “Venturing into development is an organic extension of our capabilities,” he said, rejecting the notion that creative practice must stay confined to drafting tables.

His model was radical in a city dominated by speculative sales. Projects would be fully financed before construction began, eliminating the precarious reliance on pre-sales. “We’re targeting 12 months from start to finish,” he said — a challenge to Pattaya’s sluggish development cycles. This wasn’t just ambition; it was a controlled defiance of industry norms.

Kleff also demanded that agents and investors align with his standards. “Our developments symbolize premium offerings,” he noted. “The marketing strategies should mirror that ethos.” In a market often built on shortcuts, this was less a boast than a declaration of independence.

The Evolution of Wandeegroup

Under Kleff’s direction, Wandeegroup became synonymous with precision and provocation. Its collaborations with Heights Holdings — Park Royal 2, Park Royal 3, and W Tower — defined a new architectural language for Pattaya: geometric, expressive, yet structurally disciplined. Where others replicated Mediterranean clichés or glass-box monotony, Kleff’s designs imposed a logic of engineering first, aesthetics second — a rare inversion in Southeast Asia’s resort cities.

Critics argue his confidence sometimes veers toward arrogance; supporters counter that only stubborn conviction could elevate Pattaya’s skyline beyond decorative excess. Either way, his projects forced the city’s architecture to take itself more seriously.

A Broader Vision for Pattaya

Kleff’s ambitions stretch beyond the skyline. He has spoken frequently about Pattaya’s long-term urban trajectory — the need for infrastructure, office space, and civic balance in a city long dependent on tourism. “Pattaya is destined to evolve beyond tourism,” he told Kaiser, envisioning a commercial hub where architecture serves enterprise as much as leisure.

Behind the rhetoric is a rare consistency: a belief that design must engage with economic and civic systems. In that sense, Kleff’s real project isn’t just Wandeegroup’s portfolio — it’s the redefinition of what Pattaya could become when architecture stops following the market and starts shaping it.

Mario’s Odyssey: From Improvisation to Influence

Born in Germany, Kleff’s move to Thailand was less calculated than improvised. He began with little capital, selling coconuts while drafting designs that would eventually alter the city’s profile. His sideline fascinations — from custom motorbikes to advanced computer design — reveal a mind that resists specialization. Innovation, for Kleff, is an instinct rather than a discipline.

That defiance has divided opinion. Admirers see a designer-engineer with rare range; detractors, a self-styled iconoclast intoxicated by his own myth. Yet even his critics concede that few individuals have redefined Pattaya’s architectural expectations so completely.

Link to REm Thailand - Uli Kaiser and Frank Keller

This issue marks the debut of Uli Kaiser and Frank Keller in Rem Thailand. Their 12-page special feature on architect Mario Kleff, beginning on page 30, showcases Uli’s insightful text and Frank’s striking photography, capturing the precision and vision that define Kleff’s work:

• Real Estate Magazine (REm). (Archived, June 2010, Issue 109). Two new names in our pages. Retrieved from 🔗 Two new names in our pages (REm Magazine, Wayback Machine)
• 🔗 Star Architect Mario Kleff | REm Thailand (PDF)