ARCHITECTURE IN

THAILAND
SUMMARY
 THAILAND
GEOGRAPHICAL
 513, 120 KM2 (Land Area)
 1,430 Islands
 Located in a region referred to as Southeast Asia. – The southeast Asian
country shares borders with four countries: Myanmar, Laos Cambodia
and Malaysia.
 Thailand’s shape is said to resemble the shape on an axe as you can see
on the map.
--------------------------------------------
 35,000 temples
 Bangkok
– Capital
- Bangkok in Thai is “ Krung Thep”, meaning “City of Angels”

- FULL NAME: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya

Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman
Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

- English translation:
“CITY OF ANGELS, GREAT CITY OF IMMORTALS, MAGNIFICIENT CITY OF THE NINE
GEMS, SEAT OF THE KING, CITY OF THE ROYAL PALACES, HOME OF GODS INCANATE,
ERECTED BY VISVAKARMAN AT INDRA’S BEHEST.”
 Teak

GEOLOGICAL
 Rich in Timbers – Employed in temple construction
 Teak and Ebony
 BAMBOO
 (SUPERSTITION PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE
Ebony
DESIGN OF TRADITIONAL THAI HOUSE CONSTRUCTION)

Other Principal building material

 Bricks
 Stone
 Porcelain - used for some ornamental decorations
 Lacquer, gilt, inlaid mother of pearl, gold leaf – to obtain gleaming elegance
 Glass mosaic pieces – to highlight gables and pillars

Porcelain Gilt bronze figure of buddha, Gold leaf

 CLIMATE
 Thailand has a tropical climate so it is generally
very hot, particularly between March and May with
April being the hottest month (30°C/86°F).
 The monsoon season runs from May/June to
October, when the climate is still hot and humid
with torrential rains. Rain in the south typically
continues until December.
 The area of Thailand north of Bangkok has a climate
determined by three seasons (hot, cool, and wet) whilst
the southern peninsular region has only two.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
- Also known as land of the smiles
– Thailand previously known as SIAM.
- SIAM came from a Sanskrit word “SYAM”. SYAM or Dark Brown people
- Thai means free or ethnic people
- Land of the Free & Land of the Thai people.
- Ayudhya capital with direct access of the sea and trading routes
1555 had fallen to the Burmese hands
1767 destroyed by the Burmese.
- Renamed on June 23, 1939
- The only country in Southeast Asia not colonized by Europeans
 RELIGION
 94% - Hinayana Buddhism or Theravada Buddhism.
 3.9% - Muslims.
 1.7% - Confucianism
 0.6% - Christians, Hindus and the Sikhs

Buddhism is the National Religion of Thailand

 HINAYANA BUDDHISM or Theravada Buddhism

 Reach Thailand around the 6th century AD.

 Buddhism has also shaped much of Thailand’s Architecture , culture, STUPA
literature, sculpture.
 Buddhist males above 20 years of age must practice at least 3 months
of monk hood.
 Golden Stupas and steeply sloping roofs characterize the Buddhist
temples
Steeply sloping roofs
 MUSLIM
 Introduced to the Malay Peninsula by Arab Traders and Adventures during 13 th century
 Mostly Sunnis
 2000 mosques and 200 Muslim schools in Thailand
 Most Muslims are Malay descents.
 CONFUCIANISM
 It is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system.
 Practice by a minority of the Thai people.

CHRISTIANITY
 Introduced in 16th and 17th centuries
 Played an important part in the countries progress
 Introduced surgery, smallpox vaccinations and also trained doctors in western
medicine.

Sikhism
 First Sikh arrived in 1890
 The Sikh operate a free school for poor kids, regardless of caste, creed and religion
 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
THE DVARAVATI PERIOD
(6TH – 10TH CENTURIES

 Characterized by Burmese Buddhist forms

 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 Buddhist
structures from Sri Lanka to North India
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WAT KUKUT, LAMPUN
 Wat kukut, Lamphun – 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

Wat kukut, Lamphun

The Mon Khmer-Lopburi Period
(10th – 13th centuries)

 Central and eastern Thailand.

 Provincial Manifestation of Khmer-Angkor style
 Mirrored building traditions of the Mons and Talaings
of Southern Burma
 Introduced the use of stone
The Thai Period
(13th – 16th centuries
 Bangkok Style
(18th - 19th centuries)

 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 roofs
 Out – gable ends of the roof were plainly constructed with bricks and stucco
 Bangkok consisted of two encircling moats and walls
 King Rama V patronized the European Architecture
 Traditional forms were overlaid with ornamentation of Chinese character
 Surfaces were finished with porcelain tiles
 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.
 ARCHITECTURE IN THAILAND
 Characteristics of Thai architecture include steeply-sloping tile roofs
with up turned edges, open air spaces and lush gardens. Stupas are bell-
shaped, similar to the Sri-Lankan style.
 Sometimes Thai architecture is best appreciated for its details. One the
gestalt level it often appears to overdone, gaudy and even kitschy.
 With its bright colors, rich ornamentation and sweeping, multi-
tiered roofs, the temple and palace architecture of Thailand is
immediately identifiable. It blends influences from Indian, Khmer,
Burmese and Chinese architectural styles, but has evolved to
become a distinct expression of Thai culture.
 TRADITIONAL THAI HOUSES
 In the past, Thai houses were used to identify the social status and wealth
of the owners.
 Only a prince and princess in the rank of krom were allowed to have a
Buddha chamber and a reception hall in their palaces. A prince and
princess of lower ranks could not have such structures.
 Houses of commoners were made of non-durable materials like bamboo,
leaves of sugar palm trees, rattan and others in the same family. This kind
of house was called / (pook literally means tying). It was given such a
name because builders used a rattan or bamboo strip to tie the whole
structure together.
 On the other hand, houses of those in power were made of stronger materials,
particularly timber from perennial trees like teak and some others in mixed deciduous
plants. To build these houses, builders make pre-assembled planks and join them
together. This kind of house was called or sometimes called for its pre-fabricated
wooden planks. Therefore, people were to comply with their social status and restricted
to build a certain type of house, using a certain type of materials.
 TRADITIONAL THAI HOUSES
 Thailand is noted for Traditional houses on stilts
 Thai house architecture clearly expresses the relationship between the life style of
Thai people and the natural environment. The different regional environment,
culture and local traditions have a big influence on the architecture of Thai houses.
 It can be said that changes in art are largely driven by three factors, including the influence of
natural settings, religious beliefs, and the acceptance of foreign civilization, either direct or
indirect.
 Thailand developed as an agricultural society; therefore, the dwelling of the people were not
big in size and were usually found on the low land near waterways. The house was mostly
built above the ground on high posts and made with local material easily found in the area.
Iconic Temples in Thailand
Wat Arun, Bangkok, Thailand
 One of the few Bangkok temples predating the Chakri dynasty,
the current rulers of Thailand.
 The prang was raised to an astonishing 67 meters, making it the
highest one in Thailand even today.
 The temple is an architectural reproduction of Mount Meru, the
center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. The four corner
prang, which house images of the guardian gods of the four
directions, reinforce the symbolism.
 Wat Pho
•  Is a large Buddhist temple south of the royal palace.
• The centerpiece of the temple was an enormous statue
of the reclining Buddha, over 46 meters long and 15
meters high.
• Covered in gold leaf, it is housed in a special building
built for its protection.
Wat Phra Keow, Bangkok, Thailand

 Commonly called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

 Constructed in 1782 to house the Emerald Buddha, the
most revered possession of the ruling Chakri dynasty.
 Just 60 cm tall, the Emerald Buddha is an ancient
statue believed to have magical powers. It is said that
whoever possesses the statue will rule the entire
kingdom.
 Unlike most monasteries, there are no resident monks
at Wat Phra Keow. The temple is reserved for the
exclusive use of the royal family.
Wat Benchamabopit, Bangkok, Thailand
• Constructed in 1899 in the Dusit area of Bangkok, an
area that bristles with 19th century buildings.

• The ubosot (bot) of this temple is designed

symmetrically with multiple layered roofs and
beautifully balanced proportions.

•  Is best known for the lavish use of Italian carrara

marble, which was an almost priceless construction
material at the time (actually it still is).

• The masonry halls are clad with large marble tiles and
decorated with European-style stucco (very popular at
the time).

• The roofs are covered with glazed Chinese terracotta

tiles. The polished, reflective surfaces of these
materials and the traditional gold-lacquered
ornamentations give the temple a gleaming and
glistening appearance in the sunlight
Wat Suthat, Bangkok, Thailand

 One of the oldest temples in Bangkok

 Established in the early years of the Chakri dynasty under
King Rama I, but not completed till the rule of Rama III.
 The doors are said to have been carved by the king himself. 
 The bot (ordination hall) and viharn (assembly hall) are
among the tallest in the country. In the courtyard surrounding
the viharn are many Chinese stone statues that originally
came to Thailand as ballast on Chinese trading ships.
 In front of the temple is Sao Ching Chaa, a giant swing
formerly used in a festival honoring the Indian god Phra
Isuan.
  Part of the festival included teams of men swinging in an
attempt to grab a bag of gold suspended from a long pole.
The ceremony was suspended in the 1940s in response to
the deaths and injuries common at the festival.
Wat Phra Sri Sarapet Ayudhya, Thailand
 Was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal
Palace in Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya
until the city was completely destroyed by the
Burmese in 1767.
 It was the grandest and most beautiful temple in
the capital and it served as a model for Wat Phra
Kaew in Bangkok. 
 The Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the temple of the royal
family; no monks lived there. The Wat was used
exclusively for royal ceremonies.
ARCHITECTURE IN
INDONESIA
SUMMARY
 ARCHITECTURE OF INDONESIA
 Architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic
influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonizers, missionaries,
merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building
styles and techniques.

Materials

Bricks Bamboo Timber Coconut Trunk

GEOGRAPHICAL
 Is an archipelagic country located in Southeast Asia, lying
between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

 Capital city is JAKARTA

 Is the largest archipelago in the world.

 Has many high mountains, the highest of which are over

4000 meters. Many of them are active volcanoes.

 It consists of five major islands and about 30 smaller

groups. There are total number of 17,508 islands of which
about 6000 are inhabited.

 Has an Area of 1 919 443 square kilometers 

 CLIMATE

 Has two seasons; the dry season (April to

October), and the monsoon season,
(November to March) and enjoys hot and
humid temperatures all year.

  The uniformly warm waters that make up

81% of Indonesia's area ensures that
temperatures on land remain fairly
constant, with the coastal plains averaging
28 °C, the inland and mountain areas
averaging 26 °C, and the higher mountain
regions, 23 °C.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 The crafts of Indonesia vary in both medium and art form.
 As a whole the people are artistic by nature and express themselves on
canvas, wood, metals, clay and stone.
 The batik process of waxing and dyeing originated in Java centuries
ago and classic designs have been modified with modern trends in both
pattern and technology.
 Indonesia is rich in handicrafts. Various forms of handicrafts practiced
are:
woodcarvings for ornamentation and furniture, silverwork and
engraving from Yogyakarta and Sumatra; filgree from South Sulawesi and
Bali with different styles of clay, sandstone and wood sculptures. 
 Indonesian architecture takes many forms and styles that
possesses distinctive features and traits with a story to tell, making
the archipelago one big storytelling land.
 The island of Bali has over 20,000 temples, or about one
temple for every 100 to 200 people. 
Borobudur
 One of the most famous and culturally significant landmarks in
Indonesia. 

 Was built in the 8th century and constructed in the shape of a

traditional Buddhist mandala. 

 It is one of the top UNESCO World Heritage sites, and is

considered one of the greatest Buddhist sites in the world.

 Borobudur's design is a mix of Javanese style and Gupta dynasty

architecture, reflecting the blend of indigenous and Indian aesthetics
in ancient Java.

 Over 500 statues of Buddha are positioned around Borobudur, and

Borobudur contains roughly 3,000 bas-relief sculptures. 
 Borobudur is made up of three different monuments: the main temple at
Borobudur and two smaller temples located to the east of the main
temple.
 The two smaller temples are the Pawon Temple and the Mendut Temple,
the latter of which contains a large sculpture of Buddha surrounded by
two Bodhisattvas
 Main temple structure at Borobudur is constructed on three levels with a 
pyramid-shaped base replete with five square terraces, the trunk of a
cone with three circular shaped platforms, and on the upper level, a grand
monumental stupa.
 72 stupas each with a statue of the Buddha inside are found around
Borobudur’s circular platforms
 In Buddhist cosmology, the universe is divided into three spheres known
as arupadhatu, rupadhatu, and kamadhatu. Arupadhatu is here
represented by the three platforms and large stupa
 The rupadhatu is represented by the five terraces, and the kamadhatu is
represented by the temple’s base. 
4 Major Styles of
Architecture in
Indonesia
 1. Traditional Architecture in Indonesia

 Vernacular homes of Indonesians are the best representation

of their indigenous culture
 Known as the Rumah Adat, these homes varied across regions
and cultures but also had certain similarities.
 Made of fibre, bamboo and timbre and had sloping roofs.
 Built to adapt to Indonesia's hot and wet climate, these houses
were constructed on stilts, which protected goods from
moisture and reduced the risk of water-borne diseases.
 The main strength of these stilt-houses, however, lay in their
ability to absorb shock waves.
 2. Religious Architecture in Indonesia
(Hinduism and Buddhism Architecture & Islamic Style Architecture)

 Religion forms an integral part of people's lives in the

Indonesian archipelago.
 The biggest influence came during the 'Indianized
period' from the 4th to 15th centuries, which saw
Buddhism and Hinduism gain a huge following in the
country.
 The Prambanan complex in Yogyakarta is considered
the finest example of Hindu architecture; It has tall and
pointed roofs that feature elaborate carvings, dedicated
to the Trimurti. 

PRAMBANAN COMPLEX
 Islamic Style

Architecture
Islamic influence started in the 15th century, where it was
widely used in Sumatra and Java.
 In the beginning, the mosque architecture design was
combined with the past traits of Hinduism and Buddhism,
Chinese, and other local cultures, creating the vernacular
architecture of the time.
 Mixed with the Hindu-Buddhist influence at that time, the
architecture of mosques incorporated local flavor’s.
 Thus, initial mosques had elaborate gateways and multi-tiered
roofs, similar to the Meru towers of temples.
 they were usually pyramid-shaped structures that stood on four
pillars. The Great Mosque of Demak and Menara Kudus Mosque
in Central Java are good examples of these. 
 19th century, the Indonesian Islamic style architecture
underwent a significant change as it welcomed influences
by Arabian countries.
 3. Colonial Architecture in Indonesia

 Dutch used to colonize Indonesian for three and a half-

centuries
 influence of the Dutch is so strong and has become an
essential mark on Indonesian architecture since the 16th
and 17th centuries.
 Row houses and canals with masonry and brick as the
primary material of the buildings. 
 Dutch learned Indonesian Architecture style to adapt to the
environment.
 The birth of the Indies architecture style in the 18th
century, characterized by large windows for ventilation,
deep verandas with European decorative elements such as
pillars, and Javanese style roof as additions to the original
Dutch architecture style.
 Blenduk Church in Semarang and the Jakarta cathedral are
fine examples of this style.

Blenduk Church in Semarang and the Jakarta cathedral are

 4. Post-Independence Architecture in Indonesia

 1970s onward the International Style began to

emerge in Indonesia
 Characterized by skyscrapers made of glass, steel
and concrete. Ornaments were rejected, replaced by
transparency and balance in most structures. 
  It uses a more complicated volume of structures
than the former modernist cubic and strict
geometric structures of the Dutch style architecture.
 Examples include the famous Hotel Indonesia and
the Aceh Tsunami Museum.