history: thai (thailand) architecture 1.0

THA LANDARCH ECTURE

By Denise Jencel Marcalas

GEOGRAPHY

Total land boundary = 4,863 km

• formerly known as SIAM (dark or brown)

• now Thailand (Land of the free)

• about the size of France

• occupies the western half of the Indochinese peninsula and the northern two-thirds of the Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia

RELIGIONS

• Buddhism– Buddhism first appeared in

Thailand during the 3rd century B.C. in the area of the present day provincial capital Nakhon Pathom.

– Buddhist temples in Thailand are characterized by tall golden stupas

• Islam– said to have been introduced

to the Malay Peninsula by Arab traders and adventures during the 13th century

– Muslims comprise Thailand's largest religious minority and are concentrated mainly in the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, and Satun

– Most Muslims are Malay descent.

• Christianity– Christianity was introduced to

Thailand by European missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries.

– Introduced Thailand's first printing press, and King Mongkut (Rama IV) learned English and Latin from Christians missionaries.

– introduced surgery, smallpox vaccinations, trained the first doctors in Western medicine, and wrote the first Thai-English dictionaries.

• Sikhism– Ladha Singh, first Sikh who

arrived in 1890– the Sikhs operate a free

school for poor children, regardless of caste, creed, or religion, and through several charitable associations they support the aged and the sick.

MATERIALS

• Sandstone - door parts, lintels and rectangular windows

• brick - replaced sandstone as the favoured mortar, bounded with vegetable glue and then sheathed in carved stone

• stucco - sand, lime and glue mixture strengthened by terracotta armature, later used to cover brick walls

• wood - employed in temple construction• porcelain - used for some ornamental decorations• glass mosaic pieces - to highlight gables and pillars• lacquer, gilt, inlaid mother of pearl, gold leaf - to

obtain gleaming elegance

HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCESThe Dvaravati PeriodThe Khmer-Lopbur PeriodThe Thai PeriodThe Bangkok Style

• Characterized by Burmese Buddhist forms (eg. Lamphun, Haripunjaya)

• Only fragments of foundations of buildings at Nakhon Pathom (later Lopburi) the earliest known capital was found

• Plinths was made of bricks and stones with mouldings similar to those Buddhist structures from Sri Lanka to north India, which had granite bases with holes for pillars that supported timber superstructures.

The Dvaravati Period (6th - 10th centries)

ruins of Wat Phra Men in Nakhon Pathom

Wat Kukut, Lampun

- Represents the last phase of Dvaravati style- From a high square platform, with 23m sides, rises a slender brick pyramid of

five diminishing storeys of 28m. - Each face of each storey are three terracotta Buddha images, making sixty in

all- has a viharn, an ubosot, a sala and two ancient chedis

• Central and eastern Thailand

• Provincial manifestation of the Khmer-Angkor style

• Also mirrored building traditions of the Mons and Talaings of southern Burma

• Khmers introduced the use of stone, instead of the traditional brick or rubble bonded with vegetable glue

The Khmer-Lopburi Period (10th - 13th centries)

A good comparison of the small Thai bricks with the large Khmer stones

Wat Mahadhatu Temple, Lopburi - C. 12th century- Building of Khmer-Angkor type- Stands in a walled court and comprises a sanctuary tower (sikhara)

and- attached portico (mandapa) raised on a high moulded plinth - Heavy arched tympana above the openings, recalling Angkor

The Thai Period (13th - 16th centries)

Sukhothai- Harmoniously eclectic,

employing Indian, Mon-Dravidian, Mon- Pagan, Sinhalese and Khmer motifs

- Wat erected on a terrace that had central sanctuary which sheltered a colossal Buddha statue screened by high wall

- Unlike the minaret, there was a tapering tower

Ayutthaya- Stupa was generally

circular in plan, ring based and bell shaped, as in Sri Lanka

Northern Chiengmai

- Less conspicuous- The custom of copying

from abroad reminds them of the need for religious observance (Wat Jet Yot)

Sculptures and mural paintings are important.

Sukhothai Period (1238-1438)• foundation of Thai

civilization, the place where its institutions and culture first developed

• Pho Khun Sri Indraditya became the first King of Sukhothai

• governed in the style of "the Father of the Town," or paternal kingship

• The identity is decorations in order to display the Buddhist faith by building the buildings in symbolic shapes

Si Satchanalai

Kamphaeng Phet

Wat Si Cham

• temple of the Bodhi Tree

• largest, most puzzling and historically important temple of Sukhothai period

• famous for the enormous stucco Buddha (Phra Achana) that measures over 11 m in width

Ayutthaya Period (1351 – 1767)

• founded by King Ramathibodi I in the lower Chao Phraya River

• one of the largest and most prosperous empires of its time

• society of builders rather than sculptors

• It erected a major portion of its 400 wats in Ramathibodi’s reign and completed most of its major monuments in the first 150 years of its existence

Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol

• designed to display might and riches so it has great size and appearance

• The temples seldom built eaves stretching from the masterhead

• The dominant feature of this style is sunlight shining into buildings

• architecture during this period was regarded as a peak achievement that responded to the requirements of people and expressed the gracefulness of Thainess


Wat Chaiwatthanaram

three palaces for its rulers:Wang Luan (Royal Palace) - occupied by the principal king, situated on the northern rim of the city Wang Na (Chandra Kasem Palace/Front Palace) - built for the second or Vice- King, situated on the northeastern corner of the cityWang Lang (Rear Palace) - occupied by princes of the royal blood, situated on the western part of the city


• “Land of million rice fields”

• Founded by King Phya Mangrai

• emphasizes on the enormous size of the shrines and relatively small sermon or temple’s hall

Chiangmai/Lan Na Period (1292 - 1775)

Wat Inthrawat Temple

• Stupas were later built from mid 14th century onwards since the entrance of Lankawong Buddhism sect.


Stupa in Lanna Style, Chiang Mai, Thailand


- C. 1455- Built to record the

2000th anniversary of Buddha's death, smaller version of Maha Bodi Temple (relic house) in Bodh Gaya, India but with added stucco reliefs of celestial beings paying homage

• came into being when King Rama I ascended the throne in 1782

• construction during the reign of King Rama III had either one of the two distinctive characteristics (in or out).

• in - one with traditional gable ends decorating the roof

• out - gable ends of the roof were plainly constructed with bricks and stucco

Rattanakosin/ The Bangkok Style (late 18th - 19th centries)

Roof and gable of the main viharn of Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai

• Bangkok consisted of two encircling moats and walls• Guards the entrance of the Chao Phya River which flows

into hinterland• King Rama V patronized the European architecture and

town planning


Chakri Maha Prasat or Grand Palace

• Shop house appeared as part of an urban grain although Thai by-laws did not prescribe public verandas (five footways)

• Traditional forms were overlaid with ornamentation of Chinese character

• Surfaces were finished with porcelain tiles• Walls are white stuccoed bricks that contrasts with brightly

coloured glazed tiles of multi levelled overlapping timber roofs

• Gables and bargeboards are decorated with Angkor Hindu iconography: 'nagas', Vishnu on a garuda (mythical bird), shiva on a bull and so on

• Door and window shutters are of carved wood lacquered in black and gold or painted inlaid with mother of pearl depicting themes of guardian divinities, enchanted forests, ferns, flowers and still life


Throne Room of the Royal Grand Palace, Bangkok - Two main roofs intersect at right angles, in cruciform plan, with spire rising at

the intersection

Wat Phra Kaew- elongated columns and surrounded by

prachedi

Government House, Bangkok- C. 1910 originally built by King

Rama VI as residence for favoured aide

- Presents a relatively ecleticism by Italian architect Annebale Rigotti and incorporates elaborate stone window tracery

Nation Building, Bangkok

- c. 1990- to advertise the client's involvement in

modern communications

TRADITIONAL THAI HOUSES

• houses were raised due to heavy flooding/ predators

• storage and shelter for animals

• made from a variety of wood (bamboo) and prefab panels (thatched) that are easy to rearrange

• usually built as a cluster of physically separate rooms arranged around a large central terrace

Central plains houses

• found in lowlands• Elevated on stout round posts, it has steep roofs with

curved bargeboards and paneled walls leaning slightly inward

• The simplest house consists of a single unit with an outside veranda, while those accommodating larger families might have several separate units arranged around a central platform.

Central plains housesRoof Gable (Ngao)- A distinctive feature is the elegant

curved decoration at the ends of the peaked bargeboards surrounding the gables

- evolved from Khmer architecture and appears in elaborate form on religious buildings and palaces.

Gateprosperous families usually have a gate, often sheltered by a Thai-style roof that opens on to the central platform. A jar of water is placed at the bottom of the steps so that visitors and residents can wash their feet before ascending.

Kamthieng House

- Built c. 1844, Chiangmai and now in Siam Society, Bangkok- Representative of Lanna-thai houses found in Changmai, North Thailand- Entry is marked with water jar that leads to detached buildings consisting of

the main house, kitchen, granary, spirit house and water storage- Roofed by a pair of steeply pitched gable roofs connected by a valley gutter

Floating Houses

• Early Bangkok had many floating shop houses, where the family lived and trade. The floorboards in such structures are loosely fitted to allow for movement as the water rises and falls.

Royal Houses

• generally closer to the ground and had more decorative features

Tamnak Daeng - Built by King Rama I as a residence for one of his queens, it was originally in Ayutthaya style but acquired more Rattanakosin elements during several moves. King Rama V presented the house to the museum as a reminder of an architectural style then becoming rare.

Tamnak Daeng (Red House)

Wat Phra Kaew “Heaven and Earth” • Built as the royal temple within the Grand Palace, same as

the Ayutthaya tradition• has no residing Buddhist monks, but was meant as the

spiritual center of the kingdom and the site for major royal ceremonies.

1. Ubosot 2. Emerald Budha 3. Main Stupa 4. Phra Mondop 5. Royal Pantheon 6. Gallery 7. Scripture Hall 8. Angkor Wat Model 9. Viharn 10.Ho Phra Nak 11.Stupa 12.Prang

Summer House of King Chulalongkorn• Vimanmek Palace (Cloud Mansion)absorbed the Palladian ideals • Believed to be the world’s largest building made entirely of golden teak

• Originally constructed on Srichang Island in the Gulf of Siam by King Rama V ( King Chulalongkorn) but in 1901, was moved to its present site

Sala Thai

• an open pavilion used as a meeting place and to protect people from sun and rain

• Most are open on all four sides

• reflects knowledge of Thai people. It retains beauty, which is different from architectures of other countries, and foreigners can acknowledge “Thai-ness” through Sala Thai.

Northern Houses

• The walls lean outward, giving it a sturdier look, and windows are often smaller.

• A notable decorative feature is the V-shaped designs at the ends of the roof called Kalae. Some authorities believe they represent a pair of buffalo horns.

Northern Rice Barns

• A rice barn is a component of most traditional compounds in the northern region. Raised on pillars and with a ladder for access, it is a solid structure with few windows, used to store grain.

Traditional Thai Architectural System

• served the Thai people’s needs and preferences. The needs are established as part of Thai culture, which are its biological requirements, available traditional technology, sociological needs, social organization, psychology and ideology.

Comparable between sense-impression and perception with examples of appearance

The table illustrates the main ways in which the sense-impression is expressed in Architecture. Appreciation of Thai architecture is the way people ‘taste’ the building through those five physical senses and form mind contact.

RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS

• Buddhist temples - reflection of the country's widespread Buddhist traditions

• wat is properly used to refer only to a Buddhist site with resident monks; typically refer to any place of worship other than the Islamic mosques found in southern Thailand Wat Pho

● Thai wat was traditionally a school, hospital, community center and even an entertainment venue

● follows a similar set of design principles and the same can normally be said for the functions of the various buildings within the complex

● There is also a symbolic significance to each and every part of the Thai wat complex

Wat Tramit

Parts of a Thai Wat

Consist of two parts: 1. Phuttha-wat (dedicated to Buddha; temple complex)

a. Ubosot or Bot (Ordination Hall) b. Phra rabieng c. Viharn (teaching Hall) d. Chedi or Stupa (Reliquary Tower) e. Crematorium f. Sala Kan Prian g. Ho rakang h. Of equal importance may be a Bhodi Tree or a Buddha Footprint

2. Sangha-wat Thai Buddhist temple (living quarters of monks) a. Kuti c. Sala Kan Prian b. Ho Rakang

a. Ubosot or Bot (Ordination Hall)

Wat Benchamabophit

Luk Nimit- large consecrated

spheres buried under a temple's boundary stone during the consecration of ubosot

- where monks perform ceremonies, meditate and sermonize

- faces east and houses the main Buddha image

Luk Nimit at Wat Phukhao Thong

b. Phra rabieng- Cloister like-galleries around the

Bot/Ubosot - Along its walls are Buddha

images and sometimes religious furniture

Wat Suthat Thepwararam

c. Viharn (teaching Hall)- usually the busiest building in a

Wat and open to everyone - Houses various Buddha images

and is used as a preaching hall and as a place for prayer and meditation

Viharn of Wat Suthat Thepwararam

Ku- a reliquary, in the form of a

miniature chedi, to house the principal Buddha image and enhance its presence, particularly where the image is very small.

Singha- guardian lion at the entrance of the

viharn- comes in pair- in Chiangmai, they are often made

in Burmese style

Nak Sadung and Makara- form the balustrades of the viharn- The naga (dragon) is called nak

sadung emerging from the mouth of makara, a water beast with features of the crocodile, elephant and fish.

Nak Sadung and the Makara at a temple in Chiang Mai

Roof- composed of three superimposed

tiers, with the lowest tier over the porch

- each tier may comprise of two or three sections. The lowest section spreads out like a mother hen spreading her wings to protect her chick

roof of a northern Thai temple building, as at Wat Phra Singh

Gable- usually highly decorated- design is according to the

ability of the builders and the wealth of the temple

Kong Khieu- a decorative element, or

pelmet, that forms the arch which represents the eyebrows of the Buddha.

Pan Lom- bargeboard that covers the end of the

gable, preventing the roof tiles from falling off

- the naga is often shown with scales pointing up; these scales are called Bai Raka

Cho Fa- finial pointing upwards at the end of the

roof ridges- "sky cluster"- The design is a stylised garuda, or

mystical bird. The garuda is the enemy of the naga, and in the temple design, the garuda at the top of the gable is meant to be grabbing the tail of the naga that flows down both sides of the Pan Lom Cho Fa of Wat Phan Tao, Chiang Mai

Pan Lom, at Wat Muen Lan, Chiang Mai

Sum- Also called sum khong, the sum is

an elaborate decorative arch over and framing the doorway

Hu Chang- meaning "elephant ears" are the eave-

brackets along the outer wall of the viharn

- a triangular piece of wood that is often highly ornamented

- design can be in the form of intertwining naga, called nak kieo, a naga on its own, called nakkhatan, the monkey king Hanuman, or the mystical bird kinnari or other mystical beast.

d. Chedi or Stupa (Reliquary Tower)- Domed edifice, under which relics of the Buddha or revered

religious teachers are buried.

1. The base carries the bell shaped part of the Chedi. The upper part of the base (1a) is a multiple tier structure that represents the Traiphum.

2. The bell shaped part (ong-rakhang) is the relic chamber of the Chedi. It is round in most cases, but sometimes it follows the shape of the upper part of the base.

3. The spire base carries the spire. It can take several shapes: usually round, but also square, octagonal or redented octagonal.

4. The lower part of the spire consists of circular tiers representing the heavens.

5. The upper part of the spire (plee) is lotus bud shaped and represents Nirvana.

6. The chattra is strictly seen not a part of the Chedi. It does however tell us something about the importance of what is in the relic chamber.

Hti- a bejeweled sacred umbrella that

sits at the topmost part of the chedi- a Burmese influence to the design

Chad- Burmese-style sacred gilded

filigree parasol that are usually installed at the corners of the railings enclosing the chedi

Types:1. Bell – shaped style Chedi

Wat Suthat Thepwararam

2. Square Chedi- Northern Thailand balances a

smaller dome on a high square base, each side has a niche carved with Buddha images.

- Sits on a terrace or platform, often with an enclosed walkway for devotees to make ritual circumambulation.

3. Indented Chedi- Small dome balanced on a square

base with indented corners

4. Suwanna Chedi, Prang- Ayutthayan or Khmer style of

reliquary, found all over central Thailand from the Khmers..

- Shaped like a corn cob standing on top of a square or cruciform building, with an entrance on one side

5. Suwanna Stepped Chedi- Square stepped base, with 5 tiers

above, each of the four faces containing 3 Buddha images

e. Crematorium - Recognizable because it has a tall

chimney

f. Sala Kan Prian- Open-sided pavilion or preaching hall. - Bangkok-style structure that is only

found occasionally in Northern Thailand

g. Ho rakang - The bell is struck to call the monks to

devotions; to announce time (it is struck for noon, after which monks are not allowed to eat); or, to announce the stopping of work for the day.

- In some big temples and monasteries, there may also be a gong tower, or a combination of bell and gong.

h. Bhodi Tree or a Buddha Footprint

2. Sangha-wat Thai Buddhist temple• Contained within the wall surrounding the temple complex.

• Living quarters of the monks 1. KUTI (Living quarters)

May also contain the following: 1. HO RAKANG (Bell tower) 2. SALA KAN PRIAN (Preaching or Sermon hall)

KUTI• a small structure, built on stilts,

designed to house a monk• Its proper size is defined in the

Sanghathisep, Rule 6, to be 12 by 7 keub (or 4.013 by 2.343 meters)

• a monastery consists of a number of these buildings grouped together on a shared terrace, either in an inward facing cluster or aligned in a row. Often these structures included a separate building, called a hor trai, used to store scriptures.

Wat Pa Maha Chedi KaewMade of 1 million glass recycled bottles. Mixture of green

Heineken and brown local Chang beer collected since 1984.

references

• Architecture of Thailand. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2016, from http://america.pink/architecture-thailand_449513.html

• http://www.hellosiam.com/html/thailand/thailand-religion.htm

• http://www.naturethai.net/Thailand-Architecture/Thai-Houses.html

• http://www.slideshare.net/pinedajoyceann/architecture-in-thailand-1st-part

• http://www.asiaexplorers.com/thailand/northern-thai-temple-architecture.htm

• Fletcher, B., & Palmes, J. C. (1975). Sir Banister Fletcher's A history of architecture. London: Athlone Press.

history: thai (thailand) architecture 1.0

Design