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Asian Architecture [ARC 2213] Project 1: Case Study
The cultural values in the adoption of Thai Royal Palace’s Ornaments into Thailand’s Contemporary Resorts.
TIOW TZE JINN 1101P13103 Lecturer: Pn. Yati Bachelor of Science (Honours) Architecture Taylor’s University 23 November 2013
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ABSTRACT
The basis of this assignment was to undertake a study an issue on contemporary architecture practices in Asia through literature review and to present an appropriate account based on the understanding gained through a case study. The aim of the study of adopting the Thai Royal Palace’s ornamentation into Thai’s Contemporary Resort is to identify if the original beliefs of the Old Thai Architecture still exists today, despite the use of ornamentation as a design element in Thai’s Contemporary Resort. This research draws upon mostly primary sources including Thai’s architecture books, article journals as well as online researches. Most prior research on Thai’s architecture focuses on ornaments, which are found in Thai’s Royal Palace. “Ornaments represent the last layer in Thai architecture in two different senses. As in the construction process itself, it is the last step. Whereas in historical sense, the evolution of Thai architecture – the forms that are added most recently were forms of ornaments. Most of these forms were imported and adapted for local use during the Ayutthaya and early Rattanakosin periods – mother-of-pearl inlay, crockery mosaic and glass mosaic, for example.” (Sthapitanonda, N., & Mertens B. (2012). Besides showing the Thai Royal Palace’s ornamentation, it lives on from Thai’s historical period till its modern contemporary designs, where also foreign influences that helped shaped the ornaments in Thai’s architecture, this research highlights whether the cultural values of the ornaments from Thai’s Royal Palace still exists despite they are bluntly used as just a design element in today’s contemporary architecture.
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The cultural values in the adoption of Thai Royal Palace’s Ornaments into Thailand’s Contemporary Resorts. Case Study Architecture has always plays an important role in society. Not only it tells you about the story of the location, it also embodies the nation’s identity. Thailand has the best of being situated at a geographic and cultural crossroads, and its architecture is the best proof of this. “Thailand is a country with high spiritual beliefs, hence particularly religious and royal architecture have evolved through a process of layering; a remarkable Thai capacity for the accretion of forms and influences over time.” (N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012)
Figure 1 Map of Thailand. Retrieved from: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/asia/thailand/
More than most countries, Thai Architecture embodies its nation identity. It is said that Thai Architecture is architecture of layers. Its spirituality and monarchical traditions, its agrarian roots, its rich mix of local and foreign influences can all be
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traced in their architecture. Thailand is famous for its temples and royal palaces, because religion is one of the most important roles in its architecture.
Walking along the street, all buildings stood tall and proud yet “naked”. Then there’s one building with fine detail ornamentation crafted from its roof to the base, naturally you would walk over to it and started examining the ornaments because with its ornamentation it stands out the most, announcing the owner’s status and more importantly each of the ornament detail is begging for attention.
Thai’s Architecture sense of beauty is deep within its design, the ornamentation helps to enhance its beauty. For example, “A temple door might be decorated to replicate the form of a whole building in miniature, with base, columns, and ornamented roof all crafted in fine detail. The symbolism and sheer beauty of these elements begs for attention. In all of world architecture, there maybe no doors more delightful.” (N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012) In Thai architecture, the most noticeable elements are the distinctly ornamental decorations, the stunning interior murals, the vivid colors and the lovingly crafted and gold-adorned Buddha images.
“The lavish ornamentation is the layer that is most unique in Thailand; yet most Thai ornamental crafts and motifs were adopted from other cultures. What makes Thai ornament unique is its eclecticism, stylization and floridness. Wood is not just carved into decorative motifs and figures, but carved and lacquered and gilded and inlaid with glass mosaic. Floral designs are pushed to the edge of pure abstraction, typically rendered in myriad pattern of fine detail.” (N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012)
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The ornamentation in Thai architecture consists of different elements due to the ruling of different reign of kings and foreign influences during the historical period. The evolution of the ornamentation can be seen when different reign of kings are ruling Thailand, formerly known as Siam. The kingdom itself was influenced by the culture and religions of India, starting with the Kingdom of Funan around the first century to the Khmer Empire. After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 13th century, various states thrived there such as the Tai, Mon, Khmer and Malay kingdoms, as seen through the numerous archaeological sites and artifacts that are scattered throughout the Siamese landscape. Soon after, the Buddhist kingdom of Sukhothai was found in the year of 1238. However, a century later, the power of Sukhothai was overshadowed by the new kingdom of Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya imported Mother-ofPearl Inlay, crockery mosaic and glass mosaic for example.
Not long after it was established, Ayutthaya became one of the most vibrant trading centers in Asia. European traders arrived in the 16th century, beginning with the Portuguese, followed by the French, Dutch and English. Not only foreign traders, Thai’s neighboring countries such as Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and India also have traders going to Thailand. Besides business interaction, traders that have arrived in Thailand have also influenced Thais with their foreign culture, food, and religion, creating a multi religion country. According to the last census in 2000, 94.6% of Thais are Theravada and Hinayana Buddhist, 4.6% of the population are Muslims, 1.7% Confucianism and 0.65% Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. However, Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand. Hence, the origins of many forms of Thai architectural ornament can be traced to many Southeastern Asia countries.
At various stages down the year, the cultures of Thai’s neighboring countries and foreign countries can all be seen to have had an important and distinctive
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influence on Thai architecture. These influences not only shape the lifestyle of the people in Thailand, it also shape its architecture through culture and religion. For example, the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Rather than being a single structure, the Grand Palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens, and courtyards with different style of ornaments. “The royal guild system ensured a highly standardized style of architectural decoration within central Siam. Yet official parameters left some room for individual flourish. Greater stylistic variations can be seen in the decoration of regional architecture: the rustic murals of the northeast, the sprightly gold-and-red lacquer designs of the north, and the use of fretted wood ornament rather than carved in the south.” (N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012)
“The various types of architectural decoration were included among the ten classic crafts, or chang sip moo, that were practiced among guilds based on apprenticeship and inheritance. These guilds that relied on royal patronage, included drawing, engraving carving, sculpting, lacquering, masonry and other crafts.” (N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012)
Ornamental Motifs are traditional designs and figures expressed in woodcarving, plaster relief, and lacquer painting, glass and crockery mosaic. The most prevailing of Thai motifs is a codified set of design called lai thai, which is stylized on purpose to take on the natural forms such as flames, leaves, flowers. In the late Ayutthaya period, these motifs attained their peak of elaborateness with lacquer-and-gold-designs on scripture cabinets and temple doors.
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Figure 2 Motifs decorations. Retrieved from: N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012
Many lai thai designs are adopted Khmer, Chinese or Western motifs. One of the most famous motifs is the various flame-shaped kranok motifs, which is not inspired from nature, but from the Chinese designs that flooded into Siam in the form of imported ceramics, screens, textiles and other crafts.
Figure 3 Motifs decorations. Retrieved from: N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012
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There are also other motifs are drawn from important narrative episodes in the Life of Buddha and the Jataka Tales, as well as the Thai-Hindu Ramakan epic. In Thai royal architecture, figures of Hindu and Buddhism divinities such as the Buddha, Narai, Garuda and devas were constantly carved in the buildings of the Bangkok Grand Palace as guardian figures. For example, (i) the glittering pediment at the Front Palace of the Bangkok Grand Palace and (ii) the pediment of the Temple of Emerald Buddha.
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The carving of the pediment at the Front Palace of the Bangkok Grand Palace from above is showing Brahma on his vehicle, Hamsa amid typical Rattanakosin-style kranok designs.
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Figure 5 Pediment from the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Retrieved from: N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012
The figure above shows the pediment from the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the royal Palace. Figures of Narai and Garuda are carved onto the pediment of the main entrance to the temple. The Garudas represents the mythical creatures of the Himavanta forest surrounding Mount Meru, it is a symbol of kingship. The pediment of the temple is decorated with the figure of the Hindu God - Narai riding on the back of a garuda. This figure symbolizes kingship and the king’s association with the Hindy deity and the royal affiliation of the ubosot of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. According to legend, Narayana descended from heaven in human form to help mankind by alleviating them from suffering. Thus the deity represents all the ideal qualities in a king. This pediment also incorporates devas and coiling kranok karn khot motifs.
Another important form of ornament in royal architecture is the carved wood. Carved wood is the most traditional ornament; it was used to decorate roof finials,
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bargeboards, pediments, eave brackets, windows and doors. As for the interior feature, carved wood was used as decoration on ceilings as well as altars, pulpits and statuary.
Figure 6 Buddha Images are decorated on the walls Retrieved from: http://www.thaismile.jp/FotoGallary/ThaiPics/e_ThaiPhoto_GrandPalace.html
It was at its peak time during the Ayutthaya period. There is no doubt that carved wood ornaments was important then too. Even until today, carved wood ornaments still survive, it is now famous across South East Asia. From central Thailand, carved wood was widely spread through out the whole nation, hence now Northern carved wood decoration is notable for its fluidity and use of animal imagery, while Southern carved wood decoration is famous for its wooden fretwork which is a craftwork that is pierced rather than carved. In the central Thailand, a more formal stylized mode ornaments are mostly seen.
As shown above from both pediments from the palace buildings get its sparkle from the colourful glass mosaic tiles that collects and amplifies light
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whenever it is available. This ornament is believed to be originated from the Indian culture.
Figure 7 Glass Mosaic Decorations are used to cover the carved wood and motifs ornamentation. Retrieved from: N.Sthapitanonda & B.Mertens, Architecture of Thailand. 2012
The tiles are about a perfect square of 2cm by 2cm with a reflective material as its backing. Glass Mosaic comes in Thai characteristic colors that are bright and pure in its color like red, blue, green, yellow, silver and gold. Glass Mosaic is used to cover the entire elements from the roof to the base of the palace buildings such as roof finials, courtyard statues, columns, pediments, ceilings, walls, bases, doors and windows.
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Figure 8 The gold-adorned Buddha Statutes. Retrieved from: http://depositphotos.com/4907215/stock-photo-Garuda-King-of-the-birds..html
The glass mosaic is the material that enhances the beauty of Thai royal architectural ornaments. The attention to detail of the carvings with the addition of the colorful glass mosaic brings out the royalty status of the palace buildings.
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Figure 9 Mural Lacquer Painting of the Buddha’s Tales. Retrieved from: http://sparklette.net/travel/thailand/bangkok-day-4-jim-thompson-house-suanpakkad-palace/
Lacquer Painting is a form of painting practiced in China for decoration on lacquer ware, and has found its way to southeastern Asia. Lacquer Paintings are striking architectural decoration. In royal architecture, royal craftsmen applied gold leaf designs on black lacquer to decorate the surfaces of door panels and windows. Lacquer painting was used on decorative screens and the trapezoidal wooden cabinets used for storing Buddhist manuscripts. In the Ayutthaya period, lacquer painting taken a classical lacquer design of depicts animals cavorting in the celestial forests of Himaphan. By the early Rattanakosin period, the lacquer paintings had become elaborative as the murals and even more refined. Scenes like the Ramakian epic and Buddhist tales, expressive graphics of the Buddha, Bo trees, purnaghata ever-flowering pots and other imagery are often painted as murals in the royal palace to tell stories of Buddhism and also representing the main religion of the country and its King.
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Figure 10 A classical lacquer design of depicts animals cavorting in the celestial forests of Himaphan. Retrieved from: http://www.123rf.com/photo_15724029_thai-art-on-window-church-gilded-and-lacquer-in-thaitemple---bangkok-thailand.html
How do the Thai royal architectural ornaments evolve from the Ayutthaya Period to the Contemporary days? In my opinion, the ornaments from the olden days do not evolve much. As I mention before, Thailand is a country with high spiritual beliefs, in the olden days, the king was required by the law to be a Buddhist. The people, who look up to the king, will follow his religion as well. Not only that, with the influences from India, India has brought in its culture and religion, which enforces the mentality of the people as well. This has become a tradition, which has form, an unspoken rule that the next few generation will follow what their parents or ancestors’ religion.
From here, we can see that the Thais are very proud of their own culture, hence they would not easily abandon it, even though they do not use as much
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flourish and colorful ornaments from the palace buildings, Thai architects still preserve much of the basics of the traditional Thai royal architectural ornaments such as carved wood and motifs. They even still uses the foreign influences ornaments such as the Chinese influenced ornaments as part of their building design decorations.
The ornaments, which are use in contemporary Thai resort, do not vary much from the royal architectural ornaments. Thai contemporary ornaments still use motifs for pediments; carved wood for bargeboards, roof finials, eave brackets, windows and doors. However, they do not contain as much religious figures in the ornamental design like the Bangkok Grand Palace. The designs of the ornaments have become much simpler compared to the royal architectural ornaments. The architect has also boldly included ornaments from different culture such as Chinese and British Colonial.
The best case study I had research for the Thai Contemporary Resort would be the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai Spa and Resort. The resort is located in the northern Thai countryside in Chiang Mai, accompany with the picturesque and secluded setting of the area makes the building seems royalty and grand.
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Figure 11 Directions Map to Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai Resort Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/About_the_Resort
The building of the resort is lovingly built in keeping with traditional Lanna and British colonial-style architecture. The resort is modeled on ancient Mandalay palace architecture. Like the Bangkok Grand Palace, the resort also consists of different architecture style.
The architecture style in Chiang Mai has also been influenced since the Ayutthaya period. The arrival of the foreign influences has widespread towards the Southern and the Northern region – which is where the resort is located. As time pass, architects have realized how to mix two different culture ornaments in the building’s design.
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Figure 12 Main Lobby of the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai Resory. Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery
Walking towards the resort’s lobby, what captures my attention is the traditional Thai architectural style that has been used to design the area. Plaster, stucco and cement ornaments are used to decorate the courtyard. Since Chiang Mai is famous for its plaster ornamental mouldings and motifs, hence to honour the traditional Thai ornamentation, the architect has turn to plaster because he wanted the resort to achieve the Khmer architecture perfected façade details.
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Figure 13 The Dheva Spa Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=3
Not only that, plaster has been put to expressive use for the resort’s courtyard main entrance to the hotel. The pediments, frames of the doors, arches and roof finials was moulded by using plaster relief to achieve the reminisce feeling of purity and sacredness of the Chiang Mai Temples just like how plaster relief had been used to represent the purity of the Chiang Mai temples because of its pure white color.
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Figure 14 Penthouse Residence Balcony. Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=2
Sitting from the penthouse residence balcony, you could see the rich taste of Thai traditional carved wood ornaments heavily designed all over the resort’s multitiered roofs, spired roofs and even the balcony. As mentioned earlier, Northern Thai carved wood decoration is well known for its fluidity and use of animal imagery. Carved wood decoration have often taken the form of the natural form like flora and fauna.
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Figure 15 Close up towards the Dheva Spa building. Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=1
Not only that, the carved wood ornaments are also carved into Garudas and various flame shaped kranok ornaments. As mentioned earlier, Garudas are mythical creatures that symbolize the kingship. Since the resort is modeled to be like the ancient Mandalay palace architecture, hence to present its royalty, Garudas are one of the palace buildings’ guardian figures to represent the royalty status of the building. Therefore this creates the poetic feeling for the tourists, when they walk into
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the resort, not only they will be awe by the architecture itself, they will feel like Thai royalty due to the attention to details ornaments in the resort.
Other than Thai ornamental designs, Chinese influenced designs can also be seen on the buiding elements of the resort. Decorations are focused on the elements like the doors and windows. Originally, the Chinese has influenced Thai royal architecture with ceramic tiles, during the reign of King Rama III, ceramic tiles have been used in the Thai royal architecture elements like roof finials, walls decoration, balustrades and floor tiles. However, to let the tourist feel like they are a part of the Thai’s history, carved wood is used instead of ceramic tiles because carved wood ornaments are to be said that it is more affordable for people with lesser richness and lower status than the King. It is because when Chinese traders first came to Thailand, the buildings that were influenced are the Thais’ home and their shop houses. This Chinese influenced ornaments are to allow the tourist to experience the Thais’ houses when Chinese ornamental designs have influenced Thai’s.
Figure 16 Fujian Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=2
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In Thai cultural beliefs, leaves, flowers and veins that has been decorated onto a carved wood ornament are meant to represent mother nature, to show appreciation towards the sacrifice of mother nature that has help humans a lot from ancient times till now. As for the resort’s carved wood ornamental design, it is meant to represent the nature that is surrounding the resort – the rice fields surrounding the villa zone of the resort, the rice terrace of the resort facing towards the entire rice paddy field. Not only showing the people’s lifestyle of working in the rice fields, and wanting the tourists of the resort to appreciate and embrace nature. The carved wood ornamental design reflects the Thai cultural beliefs and put them to use for the tourists.
Figure 17 North Rice Fields in the Villa Zone Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=1
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Figure 18 The Rice Terrace Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=2
If you look a bit closer to the resort, the roof finials of the resort are actually metal rather than carved wood. Metal roof finials are influenced by Laotian Architectural style, which is Thailand’s neighboring country – Laos. Only a few temples in Chiang Mai have metal roof finials like this. Metal roof finials are used on the resort is because Chiang Mai is situated near to the neighboring country – Laos.
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Figure 19 Metal Roof Finials of the resort
Other than carved wood ornaments, motifs ornaments can also be found in resorts’ ornamental design. Motifs ornament also acts as a foundation on which other decoration can be applied. However, the motifs ornaments in the resort are preserve in its raw color. The motifs ornaments are elaboratively design in veins and flowers design just like the carved wood ornaments of the roof finials and bargeboards. The motifs designs are design as an archway to represent the walk into nature which also reflects the cultural beliefs of the ornaments.
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Figure 20 The Dheva Spa Lobby. Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=3
In the Thai royal architecture, woof relief and motifs ornaments are often used as a foundation on which other ornamentation is applied such as gliding, lacquer, glass mosaic, cinnabar and paint. These decorations are often seen used in the Bangkok Grand Palace.
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Figure 21 Garudas with Nagas. Retrieved from: http://www.pbase.com/johnglines/grand_palace
These decorations are meant to show the status of the building, in the Grand Palace, it shows that the palace is the residential, working area for the Thai’s King, it also shows how powerful, and rich he is. The guardian figure of the temple also shows the equality of the King and Gods.
Since by tradition, glass mosaic and the other ornamentation are not used for residential and commercial architecture this includes the resort since the building is used for commercial purposes. Hence the architect preserve the carved wood ornamentation color so that the resort can blend into its natural settings and does not stand out too much like the royal palace.
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Figure 22 Entrance to the Spa
Unlike the Bangkok Grand Palace, glass mosaic ornaments are used in the interior of the resort. The glass mosaic decorations used in the grand palace are colorful not to mention they are bright in colors – red, green, blue, purple, silver and gold, because the glittering bright colors is able to announce the status of the king comparing to monochrome colored palace buildings. However, for the resort, the architect wants the building to be able to blend into nature, hence glass mosaic decorations are not used on the exterior of the building, but only in the interior of the building as decorations only.
Figure 23 Watsu Pool Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=3
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Lacquer paintings can also be seen using in the resort. Lacquer paintings are painted on the columns of the resort as well as the doors and windows of the resort. The lacquer paintings does not contain stories like the paintings done in the palace buildings. Paintings in the Bangkok Grand Palace tells the story of the Buddha’s life, the Hindu deity’s life as well as the lifestyle of the Thais. The paintings done on the columns are just the leaves and veins painting to complement the read teak wood columns.
Figure 24 Royal Residence Bedroom Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=2
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Not only columns have lacquer paintings, lacquer paintings are also used on the Chinese influenced carved wood doors to enhance the beauty of the beautiful teak wood door and to complement the carved wood ornaments. Lacquer paintings came to Siam from China. They are normally used in the interior of the Bangkok Grand Palace to tell stories about the Buddha’s life representing the religion of the King. However, in the resort, they are used just for decorations since lacquer paintings are rustically expressive in Northern Thai.
Figure 25 Fujian Retrieved from: http://www.dharadhevi.com/Photo_Gallery&noPage=2
In conclusion, when the ornamentation from Thai’s royal palace is adopted in Thai’s contemporary resort, some of the ornaments like carved wood and motifs still has its cultural and religion beliefs. As time pass, the ornamentation of Thai royal architecture do not evolve much especially not in Thailand because the Thais are still very superstitious and still have high spiritual beliefs.
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Ornaments like the gold-adorned Buddha statutes, carved wood Hindu deities on the main entrance doors; carved wood ornaments of the Garuda feathers as the roof finials; ornamental motifs that are carved into natural form like leaves, flowers and veins; plaster, stucco and cement molded into coiling kranok flames shaped ornaments. These ornaments can still be seen in Thai contemporary resort because the people still holds its cultural beliefs, believing that these ornaments have mythical powers to ward off evil influences, at the same time it is also meant to represent the appreciation towards what Mother Nature has offered them for the past hundred years. However, decorations like lacquer paintings and glass mosaic which are normally used in royal architecture are used much lesser in Thai contemporary resorts because of its overly flourish colors, even if they are used, these ornaments has lost its original cultural beliefs in them. They are used more indoors as decoration for its main purpose.
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