The mansion that became a school
The grand home of an 19th-century courtier earns an ovation from Unesco
Unesco has recognised the remarkable renovation work done on the historic Bangkok residence of Phraya Si Thammathirat, a prominent civil servant under King Rama VI.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has bestowed one of its annual Awards of Merit to the building on Rong Muang Road in Pathumwan district, which now houses Sitabutr Bamrung School.
It is owned by the Crown Property Bureau, to which the Thai-Chinese Education and Culture Foundation pays rent to operate the school.
The Phraya Si Thammathirat Residence was among 14 works of architecture in 10 countries earning Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, announced on Tuesday.
“The restoration of the early-20th-century Phraya Si Thammathirat Residence is a prime example of multiple-stakeholder commitment to the preservation of a building with significant heritage value,” Unesco said in a statement.
The current owner and tenant enlisted conservation experts to research the building’s history, “a process that shed light on the broader context of the heritage site and revealed its Arts and Crafts-style decoration, notably a suite of intricate mural paintings and decorative elements”.
The landscaping and exterior finishes were refurbished and the interior given a “rich treatment”. Unesco said the property “enjoys a vibrant role as a centre for cultural exchange and education for the Thai-Chinese community”.
Awards of Merit represent the third tier in the agency’s awards for cultural-heritage conservation. Other winners in the category include India’s Shri Sakhargad Niwasini Devi Temple Complex in Maharashtra, Singapore’s Chinese temple Wak Hai Cheng Bio, Australia’s Exeter Farm in New South Wales and New Zealand’s Frankton Boatshed in Queenstown.
The restoration of the Saryazd Citadel in Yazd, Iran, earned an Award of Distinction recognising the commitment of private-sector partnerships in what Unesco calls “a unique, historic desert complex”, providing “significant socio-economic benefits for the local community through renewed employment opportunities”.
Southern Thailand’s Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan – better known as Wat Prayoon – won the top-tier Award of Excellence last year.
No Awards of Excellence came to Thailand this year, “but there was an overall increase in awards,” says Tim Curtis, head of the jury and Culture Unit at Unesco Bangkok, “which gives hope for a general rise in the standards of heritage conservation by non-state actors within the Asia-Pacific region”.
A Jury Commendation for Innovation went to Singapore’s Lucky Shophouse, a bookstore, built in the 1920s that the firm Chang Architects transformed into a residence for a couple that had frequented the shop in their childhood.
An international panel of conservation experts met in June to review 46 candidates across the Asia-Pacific region. The aim was to pick the best examples of private individuals and organisations restoring structures of heritage value and, through the awards, “encourage other property owners to undertake conservation projects, either independently or by seeking public-private partnerships”, Unesco says.
The awards were bestowed to those that best met criteria “such as the articulation of the spirit of the place, technical achievement, appropriate use or adaptation, and contributed to the surrounding environment as well as the local community’s cultural and historical continuity”.
To be eligible, the structures have to be more than 50 years old and the restoration must have been completed within the past 10 years. Any new use of the building must remain viable for at least a year from the date of the award announcement.
The 2014 and 2015 cycles of the Heritage Awards are supported by the Sino-Ocean Charity Foundation in Beijing. Next month there’ll be a call for 2015 candidates. Find out how it’s done at www.UnescoBangkok.org.
More to admire
Honourable Mentions this year include:
* The Shahzada Hussain Mausoleum, Karez, Afghanistan
* Cape Inscription Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters, Shark Bay, Western Australia
* Rottnest Island World War II Coastal Defences, Western Australia
* Nanjing Yihe Mansions, Jiangsu, China
* Esplanade House, Mumbai, India
* De Driekleur, Bandung, Indonesia
* Gali Surjan Singh, Lahore, Pakistan
