THAILAND ARCHITECTURE

• Thailand is also known as phaphet thai (land of the free)
• Thai people are known as syam (dark brown people)
• Materials abundant?

  brick, sandstone, stucco (sand, lime, glue, terracotta), wood, porcelain fragments brought by chinese), glass mosaic
• National symbols of Thailand?

  Rachfrek or Golden Shower
• National animal of thailand?

  Thai elephant or chang thai
• The architecture of Thailand is rooted in the traditional design influences of its surrounding Asian countries but continues to evolve towards a contemporary aesthetic.
• Early indigenous architecture influenced by indigenous people and animist beliefs.
• Ancient Cvilization includes the itroduction of Hindu and Buddhist arechitectural elements during the Dvaravati and Srivijaya periods.
• Sukhothai style charactersized by simple, elegant forms and lotus-bud shaped stupas.
• Construction of significant temple in Sukhothai period were Wat Mahathat and Wat Si Sawai
• In Ayutthaya period, it is the incorporation of Khmer, Mon, and Lopburi architectural styles.
• Ayutthaya Period is the construction of large scale temple complexes and royal palaces.
• Lanna and Northern Thai Architecture - developed in the northern region of Thailand. Influence of Burmese, Shan, and other ethnic groups on Lanna architecture. Its examples were Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and Wat Phra Singh
• Rattanakosin Period - establishment of Bangkok as the capital under King Rama I. Constructed of gradiose royal palaces and temples in the Rattankosin style. Its landmarks include the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Arun.
• Modernization and Contemporary Trends - impact of Western architectural styles during the reign of King Rama V and subsequent modernization efforts. Thai architecture with the use of concrete and steel
• Gabled Roof (Ngao) - The concave shape helps the house cope well with this heavy rain, sluicing down and shooting it out past the walls to prevent it from seeping through the roof covering.
• Roof Finials Roof finials most decorations are attached to the bargeboard, the long, thin panel on the edge of the roof at the gable ends.
• Tiered Roof Multiple roof tiers are an important element of the Thai temple—a technique reserved only for the roofs of temples, palaces, and important public buildings.
• Intricate Carvings - Woodcarving can be regarded as a characteristic decorative Thai art form. It reflects the fertility and vitality of nature in technique and subject matter
• Stucco patterns in Thailand are considered decorative and intricate
• Gold Leaf Gold that has been hammered into a very slim and thin sheet approximately 0.1 micrometers thick. It is used to decorate artworks and is considered an art technique.
• What are the typical roof structures in Thailand?

  Gabled Roof or Ngao, Tiered Roof and Roof Finials
• What are the ornaments used in Thailand architecture?

  Intricate Carvings, Stucco pattern and Gold leaf
• The basic thai house of the past was simple structure of bamboo and thatch,raised off the ground for protection against floods and wild animals.
• Central Plain Houses elevated on stout round posts, steep roofs with curved bargeboards and paneled walls leaning slightly inward; the various components are prefabricated to enable easy dismantling and reassembly
• The Northern Houses The walls lean outward,giving its sturdier look,and windows are often smaller. Kalae-V shaped decorative feature at the ends of the roof. Some authorities believe they represent a pair of buffalo horns.
• Northern Rice Barn is a most component of traditional compounds in Northern Region. Raised on pillars and with a ladder for access, it is a solid structure with few windows, used to store grain.
• Royal Houses were similar in design to those of commoners except that they were generally closer to the ground and had more decorative features.
• What are the traditional Thai architecture?

  Thai house, Central Plain houses, Northern houses, Northern Rice Barn and Royal Houses
• Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand.
• The capitals of the columns, for example, are shaped like lotus buds or water lilies symbolizing the purity of Buddha’s thoughts.
• What are the parts of Wat (Thai Temple)?

  The Bot, Bai Semas, Chedi, Vishnu, Wihan, Prang, Chofa, Mondop, Cloister, Sanghawat, Ho Rakangs, Minor Salas, Ho Trai
• The Bot assembly hall or sometimes known as ubusot
• Bai Semas surrounding the bot is the bai semas,sacred boundary stones used to demarcate the sacred ground of the bot and to keep away the evil spirits.
• Chedi solid domeshaped strucuture where relics of Buddha may be housed, such as a bone fragment or hair, or the ashes of a past king.
• Vishnu at the top of a Chedi may be a stylized thunderbolt sign of the Vishnu,aancient Hindu Lord of the universe.
• Wihan a second assembly hall,similar to the bot but usually larger.Wihan is used by laypeople to make their offering before a large Buddha figure.Normally there are no Bai sema sorrounding the wihan
• Prang towering phallic spires
• Chofa chofa means ‘tassel of air’ and its shape is though to derive from a fierrce bird featured in Hindu mythology,it can be found in the top of the roof
• Mondop square based structure topped with either a cruciform roof or a spire.The edifice contains sacred text or an object of worship.