Green light for Bangkok arts centre

BANGKOK: -- After a 10-year wait for the establishment of the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre, city Governor Apirak Kosayodhin yesterday officially declared that the nation’s first international-standard art centre will definitely be built.

Apirak signed an agreement with nine representatives of arts and culture, including artist Pichai Niran, writer Suchart Sawasri, theatre pioneer Sodsai Phanthumkomol and architect Thanit Kiti-amphon.

The Bt430-million centre will be located at the Pathumwan intersection (opposite Siam Discovery Centre) and should be finished by the end of next year.

The agreement confirmed the collaboration between the Bangkok Metropolitan Admini-stration and the People’s Network for the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre, which has lobbied for the project for years.

“It’s time to give light to this on-again-off-again project,” Apirak said. He made the announcement in Benjasiri Park at an event attended by 500 people from the arts and culture.

Prof Preecha Thaothong presented an oil painting to the governor to raise funds for the project. An auction will also be held to sell works by established and up-and-coming young artists.

The city chose a design by architects Robert G Boughey and Associates. The 11-storey centre will have a floor plan of 23,203 square metres and will house a melting pot of all types of art.

The bidding process for construction hit a snag last month when firms said the cost would exceed Bt430 million –.the lowest bid was Bt560 million. A second round of bidding will be held by the end of the month.

--Bangkok Post 2005-08-20

23,000 square meters seems like alot of art...do people really think that they will fill the entire space with art or will someone make the decision later to use most of the building for something else.

This 'green light' has been given so many times over the past ten or so years that I'm surprised the bulb hasn't burned out by now.

I'll believe it's for real this time when they start pouring the foundation, and maybe not even then.