ASA Journal 06/22

theme / review
LIKE A CHAMELEON
78 79
13
In the past, Ratchapruek Road was home to
vast green areas of orchards before the urban
sprawl reached the suburban neighborhood
and turned it into a more urbanized residential
area. The richness of nature, however, can be
found in Koh Kret, an island located not too
far from the site’s location. Evolving alongside
the design of the façade and magical lighting
design is the ‘light from a local story.’ The
architects recreate the lights from fireflies
that used to populate the Koh Kret area with
their nighttime appearance with the lighting
design where small LED bulbs are installed at
the tip of the protruding aluminum strips. The
miniature light bulbs are scattered throughout
the surface of the façade and programmed to
have varying illumination effects at different
times of day. The firefly light can be seen more
clearly later in the night, after the white light
on the strips goes out.
The transformation is not brought about only
through lighting and aluminum strip installations,
but through the redesigned interior program,
which stylistically corresponds with the
design of the exterior. One of the highlights of
the project is the south wing entrance, which
is designed to have a two-meter width, and installed
with the same skin along and throughout
the narrow side of the building. Just like
the façade, the sidewalls and ceiling are clad
with aluminum strips of varying lengths in
a calculated randomized configuration, leading
visitors toward the furthest end of the walls.
The direction of the strips and LED bulbs on
the sidewalls is slightly different from the ones
on the exterior skin where the installation is
turned upward. With the interior, the strips are
directed toward the tunnel’s walkway while
the strips and LED bulbs on the ceiling face
downward. The furthest end of the tunnel
reveals what looks like a pattern of tiny mosaic
tiles at first glance. In reality, a closer look at
the material reveals the details of aluminium
strips, cut horizontally into small pieces, and
used to clad every square meter of the wall.
These elements render the end result of a
dramatic focal point created by the pattern
of aluminium strips and lighting, which work
in tandem to make the space look stunningly
photogenic when captured by a camera.
On the day of my visit, it was already past
nightfall, so luckily I was able to see the
façade evolve into all its forms. The work got
me thinking that if God really is in the details,
then I must have failed to see one on my first
encounter with the work. This time around,
as I looked at the details, at different times of
day, God appeared, along with the light, just
like how the architects must have intended for
us to meet, at specific times and places, right
here on Ratchapruek Road.
fb.com/hasdesignandresearch
hasdesignandresearch.com
สาโรช พระวงค์
เป็ นสถาปนิก นักเขียน
อาจารย์ประจำาคณะ
สถาปั ตยกรรมศาสตร์
มหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยี
ราชมงคลธัญบุรี ปั จจุบัน
กำาลังศึ กษาต่อสาขา
สถาปั ตยกรรมที่ Kyoto
Institute of Technology
Xaroj Phrawong
is an architect, writer,
and instructor at the
Faculty of Architecture
Rajamangala University
of Technology Thanyaburi.
Currently studying
architecture at Kyoto
Institute of Technology.
13
มุมมองจากภายในชั้น 2
สู่ถนนราชพฤกษ์
14
มุมมองด้านข้างยาม
กลางคืน เมื่อเปิดไฟที่
เปลือกเต็มที่
14
Project: MoMA Location: Nonthaburi, Thailand Design Firm: HAS design and research Design Team: Jenchieh Hung, Kulthida Songkittipakdee,
Jiaqi Han, Qin Ye Chen Landscape Design: TROP: terrains + open space Lighting Design: Light Is Aluminum Façade Technology: AB&W
Innovation Aluminum Production Consultant: Goldstar Metal Lighting Product: Neowave Technology Constructor: SL Window