Small emergency lexicon
Often referred to as a temple, the Thai wat is actually a much larger complex encompassing temples, monastery, school, offices, housing... Its layout, always the same, is a symbolic reproduction of the cosmic universe celebrated in Buddhism. It is surrounded by two enclosures symbolizing the separation of the sacred from the profane. The outer enclosure houses the functional buildings. The inner enclosure surrounds the phuttawat, the main space of the temple. At the center of this space is the bôt or ubosot, the sacred area reserved for the religious, where ordination ceremonies take place. Facing east, this space houses the monastery's main Buddha. The bai sema, 8 stone markers often engraved with plant motifs, delimit this sacred area. The sanctuary is rectangular, elevated and surrounded by a colonnade. It is protected by a multi-level roof topped by a spire. The wihan or vihara, a columned hall where the faithful gather, has the same floor plan as the bôt, but is not marked by any boundary markers. The mondop, with its square floor plan, houses the sacred texts and objects of worship. The ho trai is the library. It is often built in the middle of a pond or on a platform to keep pests away from the precious manuscripts. The sala are the resting pavilions that line the wat. Isolated by a wall, the sanghawat houses the pavilions reserved for the monks. But if you had to choose just one word, it would be the chedi, the ultimate symbol of Buddhism. Inherited from the Indian stupa, the chedi is originally a mound housing the remains of a high-ranking deceased person. According to legend, Buddha's ashes were spread over 8 stupas, which explains the symbolic significance of the chedi. The Thai chedi has gradually lost its original mound-like appearance in favor of a more slender silhouette. It usually takes the form of a hemispherical dome or bell surmounted by a ringed mast crowned by several parasols representing the different stages leading to Nirvana. The chedi houses the relics of an important figure and often presides over the construction of the surrounding wat. Now that you know all there is to know about wat, let's find out more about its different styles!
From the origins to the first Indian kingdoms
The prehistoric site of Ban Chiang, in the province of Udon Thani, bears witness to an occupation dating back to around 3000 BC. Numerous objects and tools have been found in the burial mounds, testifying to the refinement of these early inhabitants, who are also thought to be the originators of the rock paintings on the Pa Thaem cliffs. From the first centuries AD, Siam (now Thailand) came under Indian influence. In the 3rd century, the Indian king Ashoka sent missionaries to develop Buddhism. The first Indian settlement was based at Si Thep. In the town of Chaiya, the oldest representation of Vishnu in Southeast Asia (5th century) was found. The Môns, originally settled in Burma, also occupied central and southern Thailand. There, they formed a series of small kingdoms based on an Indianized, Buddhist culture. This was the Dvaravati period, from the 6th to the 11th century. Cities were built on an oval plan and surrounded by moats. The brick-built chedi were rectangular in shape, rising in descending levels. Only a few vestiges remain from this period, such as the Khu Bua stupa in Ratchaburi province. At the same time, another school, known as the Srivijaya school (8th-13th century), was developing, named after the rapidly expanding city-state of Sumatra. Few major monuments dating from this period have been found, but it is known that the temples followed the precepts of Mahayana Buddhism and that their chedi were rather of Indo-Javanese inspiration, with the presence of arches in particular.
From Khmer heritage to Lan Na school
From the 7th century onwards, the powerful Khmer empire made Siam one of its provinces. This explains the presence of superb examples of Khmer art in Thailand, starting with the temples of Prasat Hin Phimai, Phnom Wan, Phnom Rung and Muang Tham, all of which were linked to the mighty Angkor by a system of roads paved with laterite (local red rock). Prasat is the Khmer word for temple. In keeping with Hindu tradition, the temple's layout is a reproduction of the cosmos, with the mythical mountain Meru, residence of the gods, at its center. At the center of the prasat is the prang or sanctuary tower housing the principal divinity. The presence of this tower earned Khmer temples the nickname "mountain temples". Most often, the tower is in the shape of an ear of corn, enhanced by a lacework of sculpted motifs. it is adjoined by 4 smaller towers housing the god's consort and vehicle. To reach the central sanctuary, you have to cross the two square prasat enclosures and climb stairs or bridges protected by nagas (snake-bodied mythical creatures protecting Buddha). From the 10th to the 13th century, Khmer art also developed in the city of Lopburi, but in an even more monumental version largely inspired by the architecture of the Indian Pala Empire. Khmer temples are built in brick, sandstone or laterite.
At the same time, in the north of the country, another style was developing: the Lan Na school (11th-20th). Temples of this school are characterized by extensive use of wood (notably for carved decoration and coffered ceilings), multi-sloped roofs with low lines, and tripartite facades opening onto 3 open naves divided by massive pillars. Ceremonial doors inspired by Indian gopuras, or entrance pavilions, are also found in Khmer temples. The chedi gradually took on a cubic shape, with horizontally recessed tiers and a bell-shaped upper section covered in gilded copper leaf. In the 19th century, temples were inspired by Burmese tradition, playing on the contrast between the white of the walls and the gold of the chedi. Some rest on an elongated base surrounded by a low brick wall that delimits a circumambulation path for worshippers, symbolizing the course of the world. The finest Lan Na representatives can be found in Chiang Mai, such as the chedi at Wat Phra Singh, dating from 1345. Note the superimposition of recessed rings arranged one on top of the other and the superb golden spire. It's hardly surprising that Chang Mai is one of the leading exponents of this style, with its emphasis on wood, as it was one of the world's great teak harvesting centers. And don't miss Wat Phra That Lampang Luang in Lampong, with its gleaming golden spire.
Birth of a Thai art
Under continued pressure from the Mongols, the Thai people were forced to leave their native region of Yunnan in southern China. They settled in the heart of present-day Thailand. In the 13th century, the cradle of Thai civilization was formed in Sukhothai. The city was rectangular in plan and protected by 3 earthen levees separated by 2 moats. Inside these ramparts were numerous temples and monasteries. Only the ruins of around twenty of these can still be seen today. The city's largest temple is Wat Mahathat. Built by Indraditya, first king of the Sukhothai dynasty, between 1220 and 1250, and remodeled by King Lo Thai in 1345, it consists of a group of Khmer-heritage sanctuary towers and bell-shaped stupas, inherited from the Sinhalese tradition that also inspired the presence of sculpted elephants at the base of the towers. Its central tower, supported by a very high quadrangular base, is crowned by a pointed bulb known as a "lotus bud". This type of chedi is found only in Sukhothai.
Around 1350, Sukhothai was supplanted by another city, which gave rise to a new kingdom: Ayutthaya. The kingdom drew on Khmer traditions and culture, transforming its rulers into god-kings. Armed with this power, the rulers of Ayutthaya developed an architecture representing this ideal of strength and power. They had to build ever larger and more beautiful structures to make a lasting impression. Thus, the prang inherited from the Khmers grew taller and taller, while the spires of the chedi, inherited from the Sukhothai tradition, became increasingly tapered. As for the wihan, their roofs became higher and higher, decorated with golden stucco. One of Ayutthaya's oldest temples, Wat Phra Ram, still boasts sculpted elephants and a central tower dominated by a prang surrounded by galleries adorned with nagas. The best-known symbols of Ayutthaya are the three chedi of Wat Phra Si Sanphet. As the king is the agent of the gods on earth, his palace is always located close to the city's main temple. Such is the case in Ayutthaya. Finally, let's not forget the central prang of Wat Arun, "the Temple of Dawn", Thailand's most famous. Decorated with multicolored ceramic inlays, it rises to a height of almost 86 m. Four staircases oriented towards the points of the compass lead to a terrace at mid-height, offering a superb view of this legendary temple.
Kingdom of Rattanakosin
In 1767, Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese. Flight was inevitable. A new capital had to be found. In a meander of the Chao Phraya, engineers dug a canal to create an island on which to build the fortified royal city. This island is Rattanakosin. This city is Bangkok. In 1782, the kingdom of Rattanakosin was born. Canals served as the city's ramparts, while a defensive wall with 14 towers was erected on the outskirts of the city. Today, only 2 of these towers are still visible. Before it acquired its first paved streets in 1836, Bangkok was primarily a water city that developed along the klongs, canals created to support the rising waters of the monsoons. In the 18th and 19th centuries, major works were carried out to conquer more and more land, a kind of Haussmann urbanism in which the great boulevards were replaced by major waterways. As soon as the city was founded, the royal authorities had their temples and palaces built on the island, the cradle of the new kingdom. The objective was clear: to restore the splendor of Ayutthaya and perpetuate tradition. Thus, the first buildings constructed were essentially replicas of monuments from the former capital. Gradually, however, Bangkok sought to surpass its model by creating its own distinctive style, a blend of Asian and Western influences, particularly from the 1850s onwards. This is why the "Rattanakosin style" is also known as the "Bangkok style". This blend of styles is all the more interesting in that it bears witness to an approach that is unique in Southeast Asia. Unlike its neighbors, Thailand was never colonized by Westerners. On the other hand, the sovereigns Rama IV and V always had a special relationship with Europe, one of admiration: Europe was the crucible of all the innovations of the time, and to draw inspiration from its style was proof of modernity and openness. What's more, building with a European accent is Thailand's way of showing that it can compete on equal terms with the great colonial empires. So you won't be surprised to find Victorian, neo-Gothic or even Art Nouveau-inspired buildings in the midst of temples inherited from Hindu or Chinese traditions. This is particularly true of Bangkok's two great landmarks: Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. In this vast complex, you can admire the gardens and the multi-level, curved roofs covered with Chinese-inspired glazed tiles; the neo-Renaissance Borom Phiman mansion and, of course, jewels of Thai decorative art. Another fine example of this blend of styles is Wat Benchamabophit. Its three-storey roof is covered in yellow Chinese tiles, while its Carrara marble walls are pierced with Western-inspired stained-glass windows. Outside Bangkok, this monumental, eclectic style finds its finest representative in Phetchaburi in the Phra Nakhon Khiri palace, summer residence of Rama V. Overlooking a hill, it blends Khmer prang, slender chedi and a temple that looks like a Greco-Roman creation. Astonishing!
The traditional house
Rich in exceptional religious architecture, Thailand also boasts a wealth of traditional civil architecture, designed to adapt to both human needs and environmental constraints. Generally speaking, houses are made of natural local materials (wood, bamboo, dried leaves) and built on stilts. They consist of one or two rooms and an outside gallery where daily life is organized. Their structure is made up of prefabricated, interlocking panels that are not fastened with nails, making them very easy to dismantle. The thatched or teak roofs are very steep to allow rainwater to drain off more easily. Windows are longer than they are high, to keep the interior cool and dry. The idea is to keep the house as simple as possible, so as to live in harmony with the surrounding nature. While each ethnic group has its own specific features, all Thai villages have a Buddhist temple, school and market in addition to their homes. The houses of the Central Plains, built on sturdy poles, are characterized by their steeply pitched roofs and inward-sloping paneled walls. When families are large, several dwellings may be arranged around a common platform or area. For wealthy families, this platform is usually enclosed by an elegantly decorated gate. Finally, the houses of the plains are distinguished by the presence of ngao, curved decorations borrowed from Khmer culture, which emphasize the gabled roofs. In the north, panelled walls lean outwards, giving the framework a more solid, robust appearance. Windows are smaller here, due to the colder temperatures. In Chiang Mai province, the roofs of houses are topped with a kalae, a V-shaped decoration representing buffalo horns, a symbol of abundance. In the houses, the kitchen and living room communicate to take advantage of the warmth, and a balcony runs the length of the dwelling to allow better air circulation between inside and outside, natural ventilation reinforced by the stilted structure. These northern houses also feature a rice granary, also on stilts, accessed by a ladder. In Bangkok, you'll find some amazing floating houses. While most are moored to poles, some simply rest on rafts that allow them to adapt to the movement of the water, particularly during periods of high water. Today, the stilts of a number of houses have been weakened by motorboat traffic on the klongs. It's not easy living on the water! Finally, each house has its own "spirit house" or phra phum. Thais believe in the spirit of the place. So, to be on good terms with the spirit of the place they've chosen to occupy, they build a house for it and place it on a pillar not far from their main dwelling. To secure the spirits' good graces, the Thais make offerings to them... and, above all, ensure that the main house does not cast a shadow on the spirits' house!
Contemporary architecture
Like all major Asian metropolises, Bangkok began its metamorphosis into a vertical city in the 70s and 80s. Hundreds of skyscrapers sprang up across the skyline, without any real concern for urban coherence. The idea was to build quickly and extensively to showcase the city's prosperity. From the 2000s onwards, a change began to take place, and these glass and steel towers began to be seen in a context of reasoned urban planning and consideration of environmental impact. Among the city's most emblematic towers are the Baiyoke Tower and the MahaNakhon Tower, the country's tallest, whose structure is reminiscent of pixels in an image being revealed. Alongside these "classic" skyscrapers, Bangkok also boasts two unusual buildings, whose names make it easy to guess their general appearance: theElephant Building and theRobot Building. The city has no shortage of humor. Thailand has not been able to escape the throes of mass tourism, and its most famous beaches, such as Phuket and Pattaya, have been covered with hotel complexes and shopping malls, disfiguring the otherwise superb natural environment. In Bangkok, where many canals have been filled in to increase the amount of land available for construction, concrete development is also having a detrimental effect. Yet these canals help to soak up floods by redirecting water onto crops. Without this canal system, canal dwellings are under threat, and the city risks suffering a fate similar to that of Venice. Faced with these trends, some are opting for sobriety, sustainability and respect for tradition. In Bangkok, "The Met" and its green balconies bring a touch of nature to the heart of the compact, stifling city center. But it's two Thai architects in particular who stand out in this quest for new architecture. The first, Booserm Premthada, is inspired by traditional houses and their perfect coexistence with nature. His structures favor brick or wood, as in the superb The Whine Ayutthaya wine bar in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. The second, Suriya Umpansiriratana, offers a blend of Buddhist teachings and vernacular traditions, favoring light structures, spacious volumes and decor that rejects all ostentation. This return to the essence of things is particularly evident in his work at Wat Khao Buddhakodom, which he has helped to enrich with new buildings constructed from inexpensive local materials. Like the mythical animals that protect it, Thailand is constantly being reborn...and transformed!
