PHKA STUDIO
Tag: Renovation
PROUD OFFICE
BODINCHAPA ARCHITECTS TRANSFORMED A TOWNHOME INTO AN OFFICE SPACE TO CATER TO THE COMPANY’S FUTURE EXPANSION. THEY CREATED A SEAMLESS CONNECTION BETWEEN FUNCTIONS AND SPACES THROUGH PRESERVING, ENHANCING, AND REPURPOSING ORIGINAL STRUCTURES
URBAN JOY PLAYGROUND
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANANDA DEVELOPMENT
(For Thai, press here)
When an urban futsal field, renovated by ANANDA and partners in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, was adorned with vivid graphics, the space transformed into a dynamic canvas of art.
The beauty of this series of photographs’ closely mirrors the simplicity of minimalist photography. Yet, each color on the field carries its own message. Designed as a public art space for urbanites, the design team embedded each section with meaning and inspiration—not merely visuals. For instance, the use of blue evokes openness and freshness, symbolizing the concept of ‘Inspire & Urban,’ while red, representing ‘Power & Energy,’ ignites enthusiasm.
The meanings embedded in these patterns are further complemented by the lines marked to define the field’s operational boundaries. Some of these lines signify the field’s midpoint, while others distinguish its outer limits. Players crossing these outer boundaries will find themselves out of play, according to the game’s rules. Whether for aesthetics or functionality, these elements blend seamlessly into a graphic masterpiece that has resulted in a perfectly functional futsal field, a piece of public art, and a communal space for the local community to engage in activities and social gatherings, enriching the neighborhood’s options for fitness and interactions.
PHOTO ESSAY : THE ARCHITECTURE OF DEMOLITION
TEXT & PHOTO: AKAI CHEW
(For Thai, press here)
Singapore is a city in constant change. Buildings are built and redeveloped at a fast pace. A 30-year-old building is seen as ripe for redevelopment. In Singapore, demolition and construction are everywhere. Like a magician throwing a piece of cloth upwards and vanishing when the cloth drops, when the scaffold drops, the building is no longer there. Since 2015, the pace of demolition has escalated to outrageous proportions. Currently, four of the top 10 tallest redeveloped buildings in the world are in Singapore.
In the 1960s, Singapore used urban development to catalyze the new country’s economy. New skyscrapers signaled a new era. Today, some of these buildings have been demolished.
Demolition and construction in Singapore are almost as much architecture as an actual building. In the past few decades, redevelopment and loss of the natural and built environment have been seen and accepted with apathy and as a necessity to Singapore’s economic growth and urbanization; it was progressing as Singapore rose to become a better city. In Singapore, the contemporary is the history of 10 years later.
As our post-independence era architecture gets slowly erased and replaced, it opens further questions on the outrageous.
I thought about vintage photographs showing Singapore in the 19th century. We look to the past in fascination, and we think to ourselves how much the city has changed since then. Maybe in Singapore, this past might just be 10 or 20 years ago.
_____________
Akai Chew is a Singapore-based artist whose background in architecture, urban planning, and architectural heritage informs his contemporary art practice. As an artist, he works primarily with photography and site-specific installations. Akai studied architecture and built environments at the University of Tasmania in Australia. He has exhibited extensively in Singapore, Bandung, New Delhi, Hobart, and Launceston.
THE PYRAMID OF TIRANA
MVRDV GOT RID OF THE OLD IMAGE OF A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNIST DICTATOR TO BE A TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED LEARNING CENTER FOR THE ALBANIAN YOUTH
FORMICA SHOWROOM
ART4D BROUGHT YOU TO THE SHOWROOM OF FORMICA, A LEADING INNOVATOR IN THE LAMINATE AND FINISHING MATERIAL. THAT’S ITH TRANSFORMED THE OLD STORAGE SPACE INTO A CONTEMPORARY SHOWROOM FEATURING ACTUAL PRODUCTS IN USE
THE TREASURY MUSEUM KHON KAEN
PLAN ARCHITECT, ALONG WITH GLA DESIGN STUDIO AND PLAN MOTIF TRANSFORMED THE OLD BUILDING OF THE BANK OF THAILAND’S NORTHEASTERN REGION OFFICE INTO AN APPROACHABLE LEARNING SPACE IN KHONKAEN’S DOWNTOWN
NOT JUST LIBRARY
Photo: Golden Pin Design Award
A LIBRARY THAT KEPT THE ORIGINAL BUILDING STRUCTURE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF JAPANESE PUBLIC BATHHOUSES, CREATING THE SPACES FOR READING, MEETING AND THE PUBLIC PLACE TO INTERACT AND EXCHANGE IDEAS, EMBODYING THE CONCEPT OF ‘NOT JUST LIBRARY’
OOP HOUSE
OOP HOUSE, THE RENOVATION PROJECT IN EKKAMAI BY THE PARTNER, PRUITSATORN SAKULTHAI AND RUAMPORN THAVORNATHIWAS, IS DELIGHTING WITH DYNAMIC EFFECTS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW THROUGH THE DELICATE DESIGN OF VOIDS
Read More
ANUBAN SAMUTSAKHON SCHOOL
CONTEXT STUDIO OFFERS A NEW IMAGE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY TRANSFORMING THE SPACE TO BE SUITABLE FOR LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THROUGH THE ‘OCEAN’ DESIGN CONCEPT
TEXT: PICHAPOHN SINGNIMITTRAKUL
PHOTO: DOF SKY|GROUND
(For Thai, press here)
It is not often that we see a public school invest in architectural design and decoration with the intention that these built environments will help improve the children’s learning ability and playing experiences, not to mention doing it at the level of a good private school. But the Samutsakorn Public School, also known as Anuban Samutsakhon School, shows how important it is to put money toward improving the school’s architecture and functional spaces. The improvement has stunned many parents and passersby, even having them wonder if this is actually a space inside a Thai public school.
Badintra Balankura of Context Studio, the project’s architect, talked about a conversation he had with the school’s director: “When the school’s director called us, I was surprised. Because, to me and many others, it is unusual to see a public school invest money towards its architecture. I personally have never seen anything like this. After having a serious conversation with the director, I discovered that the province’s governor was partially responsible for this renovation because he wanted to see the public schools in the province have top-notch learning environments that would enhance both the children’s experience and the province’s image and reputation. The director also agreed with the idea of designing functional spaces that would serve as a tool to help prepare the children for life outside of school. The design is also intended to instill a sense of pride in the students and alumni.”
The school’s location, which is only 200 meters from the mouth of the Tha Chin River.
The final few sentences about creating a space that would help prepare the children for the real world became the essence of the design concept, which compares the experience to a ship’s embarkation into the ocean. The concept also corresponds with the province’s prominent fishery industry and the school’s location, which is only 200 meters from the mouth of the Tha Chin River, situated almost directly on the gulf. The river and water thus plays an important role in the design. The renovation includes the multipurpose classroom, the hall beneath the elevated floor of the building, and the faculty office.
“The multifunctional classroom, or what the teachers refer to as the ‘presentation room,’ which has been carefully scheduled for the children from different classes to take turns using, depending on the subjects they’re learning, has to be the highlight of this project. We designed the surfaces of the walls and ceiling to have acoustic properties with functions that are more suitable for presentations with projectors and activities that require verbal communication and interactions. When we associated the design to the concept of water, the ceiling ended up looking like waves; quite intimidating-looking waves (laugh), though, because we wanted them to be able to absorb noise effectively,” explained Badintra about the design concept of the first section of the spatial program.
It wasn’t easy to design and build the ceiling to resemble intimidating-looking waves while still delivering the intended functions. The recurring spans between the waves required the design team to use Rhino software to work out the form of the ceiling. Sixteen variations were created, each with waves of varying lengths and enough repetitive spans to help reduce echoes. The CNC machine was used to create molds from the sixteen digital files. The molds were then used to cast the fiber glass tissue modules, which were then assembled into the undulating ceiling.
The multifunctional classroom’s floor and walls are made of a light-colored wood substitute to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the students. The wood finish reveals groove details, adding a fun dynamic to the room, which would otherwise be just a rectangular classroom with a plain surface. The grooves also contribute to the sound-absorbing property of the room, one of its primary functional requirements.
The faculty’s office, which also includes the director’s office and a meeting room, is designed to use the same material and color tone as the presentation room, with wood as the main material. The design of the building, which mimics the bottom of a large ship, incorporates elements of water and rivers. A highly skilled group of local ship builders constructed the ceiling, and the process itself was a cooperative effort that brought the province’s officials, the school, and the neighborhood together and strengthened community ties. The hall under the raised floor of the building is the area where the children play and engage in various activities. The ceiling is meant to look like the hollow cockpit of a ship. The curved and hollow features of the columns reduce the rigidity of other elements while lowering the risk of injury to the children as they run around the area. The renovated floor is constructed out of terrazzo that is partially made of glass scraps and gravels, allowing the children to see an example of an environmentally conscious effort through design.
“We’ve renovated a number of areas, and the school is planning to continue renovating other zones as well. The end result will undoubtedly distinguish the school from other public schools in Thailand. I admire everyone involved for recognizing the significance of spaces in children’s learning experiences, in addition to the curriculum. It would be amazing if other public schools could spare their budget to improve their spaces and facilities in the same way that Anuban Samutsakhon School has.”
The ideas, concepts, and points of view that Badintra shared with us about the project, as well as how they differentiate Anuban Samutsakhon School from other public schools in such a positive and impressive way, made us realize how building a good school or influencing children to become accomplished people involves so many factors that go beyond issues such as budget and curriculum. These things involve adults’ visions and their willingness and ability to look at what today’s children want to learn. It is the responsibility of grownups, particularly teachers, to closely observe the children’s needs and interests. While architecture is not the only solution that contributes to a child’s good upbringing, its ability to create an environment that is conducive to children’s learning experiences and allows them to exercise and express their imagination will undoubtedly help motivate and foster their creativity, positive awareness, and interest in ways that are unquestionably superior to being forced to sit in a boxy classroom all day.
