TAKE A LOOK AT GALILEOASIS, AN UP-AND-COMING PROJECT HIDING IN BANTHATTHONG DISTRICT AMIDST THE CHAOTIC URBAN SURROUNDING. THE PROJECT INCLUDES A GALLERY, THEATER, AND CAFÉ, AND SERVES AS AN ‘OASIS’ THAT VITALIZES ANYONE PASSING BY
TEXT: SUPITCHA TOVIVICH
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN
(For Thai, press here)
The result Google brings up for the geological definition of an oasis is ‘a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually with a spring or well.’ An oasis has long been a resting area for animals, humans and caravans of travellers who stop at the spot to collect water and food for their journey in a desert. A visit at GalileOasis, a new art space in Banthatthong neighborhood of Bangkok, gives a feeling of being inside a fresh, luscious wetland in the middle of the dry, heated concrete jungle. Hidden inside a small alleyway with a physically narrow entrance, the space surely surprises and delights its visitors or whoever stumbles upon its presence, just like discovering an oasis in the middle of a desert.
GalileOasis is conceived from a union between a group of proteges of Professor Rassami Paoluengtong, a screenwriter, magazine editor, translator, theater director, co-founder of ‘Two Eight Theater Collective’ and a professor of literature and theater at Chulalongkorn University. The inception of the project stems from an intention to revive the piece land that is home to twenty units of three story shophouses, which belongs to Professor Paoluengtong’s family. Before the renovation took place, the buildings were clustered and deteriorated since the units were rented out to previous tenants, and the spaces were used for several purposes by a variety of businesses, from a second hand auto part shop, a snooker joint, a goldsmith workshop, to a cheap accommodation for foreign workers.
The name GalileOasis originated from the fusion of the words ‘Galileo’ and ‘oasis’. Galileo is the name of ‘Two Eight Theater Collective’s’ first play, which introduces many of the partners and marks the beginning of their friendship, while ‘oasis’ is implicates the space’s intended status as the community’s art and cultural oasis; a wonderful, serene green space amidst the chaotic and arid urban surroundings.
Before its completion, the project went through a challenging process of architectural formation and renovation from the limited budget, to the owner’s preference for the imperfection of beauty, and the extra attention paid to the preservation of the past, traces and layers of time that are filled with stories. The partners worked closely with the assigned architect of the project, Visutr Virunanont, to make sure that the renovation would keep all the spaces and sections that were usable and strong enough to accommodate new functional programs. New additions, however, can be found in the form of steel structures, glass panels including reused old materials that had been given new functionalities such as beds, washbasin’s stands, counters, window and door frames, and other decorative items.
The art space portion of GalileOasis comprises three sections. The GalileOasis Gallery is intended to be an art space for artists from every generation and professional background. The works that will be exhibited here are the type of artworks that are easy to digest, more accessible and less intimidating to the general public, and sold at a more affordable price, encouraging a climate where art naturally exists as a part of people’s lifestyle.
The GalileOasis Theatre is created to be an open platform for young-generation theater crowds to rent a performance space for their shows at a more accessible price. The space is intended for shows that are not celebrity oriented or something with a famous cast, but more focused on screenplays and experimental approaches that creators can take with the theater’s space. A number of columns surround the central foyer, which has been created from how the renovation demolished the second floor to facilitate a connected, more expansive area for the functional program of a theater.
Lastly it’s GalileOasis Hotel, the 19-room accommodation that consists of four family rooms, and 15 standard rooms. Each room is designed to offer the most comfortable staying experience with functionalities that meet the demands of modern consumers. The renovation gives birth to a revamped space that looks clean, fresh, bright and functionally convenient. Traces of the buildings’ history are still there where the old and the new perfectly intertwine.
With the theater and hotel set to open soon, the cafe, Piccolo Vicolo, or small alleys in Italian, is currently up and running and has been attracting a young and creative crowd. Some come for a cafe hopping check-in while some seek refuge from the hectic energy of Bangkok at the cafe’s relaxing and refreshing space while working and searching for new inspirations. The space will soon welcome an art store, a pastry shop, restaurants, a vintage record store, including a studio of a Swedish artist, making this oasis even more fun and upbeat.
There are many tangible aspects of GalileOasis, being Bangkok’s emerging urban oasis, from its architectural characteristic as a stunningly curated, luscious and relaxing green space that appears alongside the project’s past and embraces imperfect beauty. Meanwhile, the more abstract part of GalileOasis is its existence as a resting spot, a safe space for people of all ages and interests to recharge their energy, to experiment with their creativity and inspirations for their future artistic and design creations.
