Visiting Bangkok’s buildings to appreciate and learn about their architecture may not be the first weekend activity to come to mind. Ponk wanted to change that.
Rubporn Sooktatup Memoli, aka Ponk, is a Thai architect-turned-entrepreneur who almost single-handedly organized a free architecture tour spread across the capital this past weekend as part of her vision to raise its profile with free tours, many led by the building’s designers.
“When you go to London, there’s more than Big Ben to see. When you go to Paris, it’s not only about the Eiffel Tower,” Ponk said. “In Bangkok, there are actually many interesting buildings, so I hosted Bangkok Bound to set an example and create a new culture where people in Bangkok, not necessarily architects or designers, can get closer to architecture.”
Take a free look inside these stunning Bangkok buildings in December
Dubbed Bangkok Bound, the event – also billed as Thailand’s first architecture showcase – comprised more than 20 buildings around the metropolitan area, and hosted guests ranging from design enthusiasts and students to lookie-loos.
Many were personally escorted by the people who designed the spaces, such as the team from Stu/D/O Architects at Naiipa Art Complex in Soi Sukhumvit 46.
In addition to public spaces such as The Commons Thonglor, Naiipa Art Complex (near BTS Phra Khanong) and Chulalongkorn University’s new Architecture Library, the event opened doors to a number of usually inaccessible, private properties. Among them were offices such as MacroCare in Taling Chan and IDIN Architects in Din Daeng, as well as the Hachi Serviced Apartment in Chatuchak and the private residence of architect Korn Thongthua, called Basic House.
The tours were fully booked. The most popular venue, the Samsen Street Hotel, had to increase tour sizes from 15 to 25 people. As a rare moment to celebrate Bangkok’s coolest architecture (No Robot or Elephant buildings on this tour), it drew volunteers, Ponk said, from the neighboring countries of Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
“It’s beyond my expectations,” Ponk said. “I first thought that it would be a small event, may be just for a group of architecture students. But it has turned out to be much bigger than that.”
Ponk, 34, studied architecture at Chulalongkorn University and worked at IDIN Architects before going to London to earn a master’s degree in technology entrepreneurship. Always mapping out the buildings she wants to see before visiting new cities, Ponk two years ago created an app to do the job for her. ArchiTracker can be used to map out interesting architecture in cities around the world. Starting small with a 100-or-so buildings in London, it now counts about 27,000 in its database.
After the success of this past weekend’s tour, Ponk wants to give it another go next year and maybe take it to other cities such as Singapore.
“I want to do it, and it should still be a free event where anyone have the opportunity equally to attend,” she said.
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Take a free look inside these stunning Bangkok buildings in December
