Abstract:
The research, Development of Architecture during the Reign of King Prajadhipok, 1925 1934, has threefold objectives : (1) to study architectural output during the reign in terms of architectural style, material, structure, construction technology, as well as the design criteria and concept; (2) to study the rise of architectural profession within its social, economic, and political contexts; and (3) to analyze the inter-relationship between architecture and its contexts, in order to achieve a fuller understanding of the transformation during the reign of King Prajadhipok. Through architectural historical research methodology, a range of historical materials were collected: archival documents, photographs, maps, architectural drawings, as well as the remaining buildings. After a thorough review of literature as well as the collected materials, the research result was presented through descriptive analysis method, which further our understanding of Thai architecture during this transitional period. Issues such as the formation of the architectural profession, development in construction technology, as well as stylistic changes in various building types public, residential, and religious altogether reflect changes in contemporary social, economic, and political context, especially those of the modern urban life, which was intrinsic to Siams modernization process.
The research results indicate that during the reign of King Prajadhipok, there was a constant change in architecture in Siam. Many of the major buildings were stylistically simpler than those of the previous reign due to two reasons: (1) the general inclination towards Modern Architecture, Art Deco, and Stripped Classicism; and (2) the expression of modernity through architecture, especially those pertaining to modern infrastructure and industry, which was represented through structural and material truths. The Great Depression had relatively less impact on architecture, as building projects were undertaken by both the public and private sectors continuously throughout the reign.
The research also discovers that the reign of King Prajadhipok was the transitional period when the role of foreign architects was gradually reduced, their positions replaced by the first generation of Siamese architects, commoners as well as royals, who had received education and training in the West. Capable of designing buildings that were modern architecturally, structurally, as well as mechanically, the Siamese architects had collaborated with their Swiss, British, and Italian counterparts, who were still very active in the building trade through the end of the reign. Nonetheless, the first-generation Siamese architects were extremely important in the formation and development of the modern architectural profession, as resulted in the foundation of the Association of Siamese Architects, as well as the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University.