LAWRENCE CHUA’S BOOK NARRATES MODERN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY AND URBAN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS BASED ON BUDDHIST BELIEFS DURING 1910 – 1973
TEXT: CHIWIN LAOKETKIT
IMAGE COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PRESS
(For Thai, press here)
Bangkok Utopia: Modern Architecture and Buddhist Felicities, 1910–1973
Lawrence Chua
University of Hawaii Press, 2021
7.5 x 1 x 10.5 inches
296 pages
ISBN 978-082-488-460-4
Bangkok is rarely associated with the word ‘utopia’—a term at odds with its everyday narratives of frenetic growth, crippling traffic, pervasive pollution, recurrent flooding, sharp social stratification and intensifying political unrest witnessed over recent years. Simultaneously, Thailand’s capital is often overlooked in the study of its modern architectural history and urban environment. Yet, for Western scholars such as Lawrence Chua, Bangkok offers a fascinating case study for those researching modernism. Traditionally, modernity is entwined with the principles of scientific rationalism, the rise of an autonomous middle class, the principles of liberal democracy and industrial progress. In Bangkok, however, these markers of modernity are still imbued with enduring Buddhist beliefs and cosmological ideologies that shape social organization, politics, urban life and architecture. The city integrates these traditions and religious beliefs while uniquely responding to modern cultural experiences.
Lawrence Chua is a professor of architectural history at Syracuse University in New York, USA, with a diverse background as a journalist, art critic, and film critic. He possesses a keen interest in urban design and modern architecture in Southeast Asia. In this book, Chua explores the methodologies of urban design and development in Bangkok, structuring the content into three sections: tools, materials and systems. These divisions form the structural framework of the narrative, offering a historical architectural perspective that traces the continuous impact of changes from ideas to the systems of urban design in the city. The study spans the period from 1910 to 1973.
In 1910, as Bangkok embraced administrative reforms that centralized power to realign its societal frameworks with western modernity and the Siam nation-state ethos, a dynamic confrontation and melding of traditional Buddhist cosmological beliefs ensued. Lawrence Chua delineates this in his portrayal of the ‘The City of Nibbana,’ an envisioned realm of bliss that ties the royal spatial arrangement from the Grand Palace to the Dusit Palace, signifying a clear pivot toward a modernity deeply intertwined with Buddhism. Concurrently, Chua proposes an intriguingly bold reinterpretation of King Rama VI’s ‘Dusit Thani.’ Moving beyond the conventional view of it as a democratic model city, he posits it as a queer space designed for training male royal servants in western cultural practices and varied gender roles, thereby crafting an urban environment steeped in Buddhist tenets of genderless equality. Amidst this cultural metamorphosis, the term ‘architect,’ evolving from ‘master craftsman,’ also surfaced, marking a significant linguistic and professional shift in this distinctively Thai rendition of utopia.
Chua examines the transformation of Sanam Luang from the royal cremation site for King Rama VI—linked to Khao Phra Sumen, the cosmological centerpiece of divine kingship—into a symbol of modern nation-statehood. There was a functional overlap in its use as a civilian cremation site after the transition to democracy in 1932, alongside a broader plan to transform Sanam Luang into a public park and the ‘lungs’ of Bangkok. Concurrently, the advent of the People’s Party heralded the Sri Ariya (‘Ariyan’, signifying a renaissance) ideals, which envisioned an equitable future for the citizenry through the development of public structures such as Thammasat University, the Democracy Monument, and the Victory Monument. These projects utilized reinforced concrete materials and set architectural standards that served as the blueprint for the construction of a variety of buildings across the country, from temples to government edifices, subsequently spurring the vehement growth of The Siam Cement Public Company Limited.
Significant shifts occurred in Thailand’s economic and political landscapes under the leadership of Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, whose administration aligned closely with the United States-led Western Bloc during the Cold War. These changes notably influenced the development of infrastructure and led to an influx of foreign goods and media influences, including television, movies and advertisements, as well as a marked attempt to revive the monarchy. The term ‘heaven’ or ‘mansion’ was used to denominate commercial spaces such as banks, hotels, shops, and pubs, reflecting the expansion of business under the first National Economic and Social Development Plan. A key aspect of Sarit’s governance was the urban planning of Bangkok, which involved consulting American urban planning experts. This collaboration influenced the master plan for Bangkok’s development until 1990 CE, projecting the city’s growth and that of its suburbs for the next 575 years with an emphasis on road-based transportation. This plan included transforming traditional canal routes into roads to accommodate the increasing presence of automobiles in the city.
This book extends our understanding of modern architecture and urban design, navigating through the interplay between capitalism and the expansive political economy of Thailand. Although covering merely a single human lifespan, it argues that the policy-driven transformation of any specific area cannot reliably forecast changes or growth across a century. Lawrence Chua’s examination of Bangkok offers a compelling narrative that probes deeply into the complexities of identity, civic engagement and the intertwined evolution of social dynamics and architectural forms and colors in modern-day Bangkok. Grounded in meticulous historical research and enriched with references to Buddhist beliefs, Chua’s analysis is sharpened by his unique bicultural perspective of an Asian man who has lived in both eastern and western countries. His insights reveal layers of Bangkok’s urban tapestry that may even elude its locals.
