OBA Unveils Designs for Thai Pavilion

The honor of designing Thailand’s pavilion for the 2015 Milan Exposition has officially been awarded to The Office of Bangkok Architects (OBA). The firm’s winning design incorporates the Expo’s theme of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” with the agrarian and religious qualities that define the Kingdom of Thailand. Located centrally on the Expo’s main avenue, the pavilion will be adjacent to a canal that will be used as a part of the exhibition, relating back to Bangkok’s informal title as the “Venice of Asia.”

The pavilion will emphasize the crucial aspect that water plays in Thai agriculture in a number of ways. A depiction of Naga, the legendary water snake from Thai mythology, will greet visitors at the beginning of the pavilion’s walkway. This walkway will take visitors across a rice field that has been planted in various stages of cultivation, displaying the foundation of agriculture in Thailand.

The entrance to the pavilion itself is a large wood-frame replica of a ngob, the traditional hat worn by farmers and vendors in Thailand. The most prominent element of the pavilion, the ngob becomes a symbol of the country’s agricultural identity. The pavilion building proper will be framed by a brick wall modeled after the traditional walls of Thai temples. Sloped at the three different angles and clad in a reflective surface, the wall will reflect the rice fields of the pavilion, the visitors to the Expo, and the sky.  In this way, the wall will represent the agriculture, nature, and people of Thailand.

The Milan Expo will run from May 1st until October 31st of 2015. You can view more of the planned pavilions, here.

Competition: Universal Exhibition Milano 2015
Award: First Prize
Project Name: Thailand Pavilion
Architects: The Office of Bangkok Architects
Location: Milan, Italy
Design Principal: Smith Obayawat
Design Director: Waroon Limpchalerm
Architect In Charge: Francesc Domingo
Italian Architect: Marco Franz Vaccara
Design Team: Chris Singshinsuk, Nattakit Jeerapatmaitree, Khongphak Pansoongnern, Natchaya Promsuwan, Margot Therond, Elodie Artieres
Structural, Mechanical And Electrical Engineer: Meinhardt
Landscape Consultant: Landprocess- Kotch Voraakhom
Client: Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, The Kingdom of Thailand
Lead Consultant: Work and Right Joint Venture
Year: 2015