ARCHITECTURE AND ORNAMENTAL PATTERNS
- alessandrobordin5
- Oct 16, 2022
- 1 min read
One of the aspects that characterise a place and make it distinguishable is represented by the architectural elements that draw the profile of cities. When I arrived here in Thailand, what inevitably caught my eye was the presence of temples and royal palaces. A presence that, especially in the capital city, stands out in a remarkable way among the other buildings that are considered, even if of medium and large size, more ordinary.
As one can well imagine, although the structural elements remain the same, different stylistic orders have developed in the country, influenced over the centuries by a variety of reasons: region of belonging, past dominions and empires, contrast between a local and a national identity, etc.
This first photographic excursus is about Bangkok, where a national dimension inevitably prevails. Two specific features arise immediately: the forms and organisation of architectural spaces, on the one hand, and ornamental details and colours, on the other.
In the first case, certain characteristics found in all wats, a term that in South-East Asia designates a Buddhist temple or monastery, are striking: the shapes of the sloping roofs that cover most of the structures and the height of the chedi, or stupas, bell-shaped towers containing relics of the Buddha.
In the second case, among the ornamental elements the numerous statues of protectors and mythological figures stand out. On a chromatic level, on the other hand, the use of a rather broad colour palette, as well as an impressive use of gold, captures the eye. In particular, details take shape in the endless carvings of ceramics, precious stones and small mirrors used to reflect sunlight.
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