Italian Neo-Renaissance buildings in Bangkok

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Italian Neo-Renaissance buildings in Bangkok

by Leonard H. Le Blanc III 

 

 

Scattered throughout the old portions of Bangkok are a number of superb examples of highly ornate, richly detailed Italian Neo-Renaissance buildings. These impressive structures, along with the number of long canals, supported Bangkok’s informal title as the “Venice of the East.” This term was commonly used by many Westerners around the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to describe the charming, exotic city of Bangkok.

 

It was King Rama V’s wish to rapidly transform the Kingdom into a modern state.  He did this by employing scores of Western trained physicians, educators, military officers, manufacturers, lawyers, administrators and other experts in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th century. All these expatriates helped transform Thailand into a modern nation. Among these invitees was an Italian architect, Mario Tamagno 1877-1941, who would leave an indelible mark on the country’s architecture. He arrived in Bangkok in 1900 on a 25 year employment contract. Although another Italian sculptor, Corrado Feroci, would later become more famous for his Art Deco monuments, like the Victory Monument and Democracy Monument, in the decades to come, Tamagno would also leave his distinctive mark on the city.

 

Along with another Italian architect, Annibale Rigotti 1870-1968, who arrived in 1907, they would collaborate with engineer Carlo Allegri to create some of the most striking architectural sites in the country. The following are some of the buildings they designed individually or together:

 

Construction of the main building in Bang Khum Prom Palace started in 1901 and was completed in 1906.

 

Siam Commercial Bank: When the Siam Commercial Bank started business in 1906, Rigotti was commissioned to design the first branch in Talad Noi near the Chao Phraya River. It was completed in 1910 and served as the site for the centennial celebration as the oldest bank in Thailand on 30 January 2006.

 

Suan Kularb Residential Hall and Throne Hall in Dusit Garden. King Rama V had Suan Kularb Residential Hall built for one of his sons, Prince Asdang Dejavudh. On the Eastern side of the hall is Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall. The Resident Hall was named Suan Kularb or rose garden. Presently it is used as a gallery for paintings by the late H.M. King Rama IX.

 

Thewarat Sapharom Throne Hall in the Phaya Thai Palace (c. 1910s).

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/travel-and-leisure/italian-neo-renaissance-buildings-in-bangkok/

 

-- © Copyright Expat Life in Thailand 2021-02-09

 

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