Local architects guilty of many scenic atrocities
I am no great admirer of the new MahaNakhon building. Even so, when I saw that the architect was being attacked for breaching Thai labour laws, I felt a crucial point was being overlooked. Now that Thailand’s tallest building has opened, surely the key q
Like the architect, I am a native German speaker. I would never condone breaking the law. However, I beg Mr Srisuwan Janya to examine the ugliness of towns such as Pattaya and Hua Hin. Here, the laws of aesthetics are offended on a routine basis.
Then there’s Patong on Phuket. Amid the devastation after the Tsunami, a golden opportunity arose to create new structures that would merge sensitively with the natural beauty on which the island's popularity was founded. Astonishingly, the new buildings were even more hideous than those they replaced.
Recently, I came back from Chumphon, where nature remains mostly unspoiled. Unfortunately, two constructions are in progress which look set to disfigure the province and drag it down to the level of other once-glorious Thai vistas.
I wish the Architects Council of Thailand and nationalist activists like Mr Srisuwan Janya would give more thought and imagination to urban planning, ensuring that beauty and taste are respected as keenly as the labour laws.
Linus
