Students from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Thailand present five scenarios of redevelopment in Sam Yan at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
Organised by Sam Yan Press and Sam Yan Civic Design Lab, the exhibition "Speculative Chula: Not Yet Built" presents their 10-week design research sprint. Five trajectories of redevelopment are displayed alongside essays by invited scholars and the voices of community residents who are holding out against gentrification.
Led by Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, Sam Yan Press organised Sam Yan Film and Ideas Festival at the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine last month to show that the area is more than a commercial piece of land, but a site of rich histories.
"Speculative Chula: Not Yet Built" captures a tug-of-war between conservation and development. In recent years, communities were gradually displaced by high-rises and shopping malls.
However, an eviction of a Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine caretaker remains an ongoing dispute. Penprapa Ployseesuay is appealing against the lower court's ruling in favour of the landowner.
King Rama VI established Chulalongkorn University in 1916. He allowed the campus to use a vast tract of land south of Rama I Road, which accounts for 1,153 rai of land. While 637 rai is used for education and 131 rai is leased to state agencies, over 385 rai is designated as financial districts, mainly Siam and Sam Yan.
Its smart city plan outlines redevelopment of three key areas by 2037. First, Suan Luang-Sam Yan is touted as a heri-tech city, a combination of heritage and innovation. Second, Siam Square is set for a head-to-toe revamp and is poised to be the best walking shopping street in Asia. Thirdly, National Stadium will be turned into a recreation hub.
"Speculative Chula: Not Yet Built" is running on the 3rd floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre from today until Aug 2. It is open from 10am to 7pm, Tuesday-Sunday. Admission is free.
