The Palace of the Celebrations

Tanyalak Chalermtip

[email protected]
+64 22 459 5614
Intro Image
An interior of the palace during Yi Peng festival

“A sacred place surrounded by nature where people and nature are harmonised. Here, we live to celebrate, we celebrate for nature and we celebrate with the finest crafts. This is The Palace of the Celebrations. Our palace is assembled of golden branches reaching upright surrounded with delicate red petals, each fold and unfold, fall and bloom, never repeating its form.” 

Inspired from Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, this thesis speculates on an ideal place which evolves from true cultural references. The three Thai traditional celebrations Bun Bang Fai (Rocketfire), Loy Krathong (Floating basket), and Yee Peng (Lantern) festival originate from the spiritual importance given to sky, land, and water in Thai mythology and belief.

Each of the three events is celebrated with the making of Bang Fai (rocket), Krathong (basket), and Khom (lantern). This thesis focuses on the folding techniques of the Krathong making process, which is developed into the architectural fragments of the palace. The existing folding techniques of the basket were further developed through multiple digital tools, allowing intuitive handling of the model as well as complex operations. By using the digital tool, it develops a new architecture which represents Thai culture without repeating conventions of the past. 

 

Here, we craft to celebrate

Here, we cook to celebrate

Here, we perform to celebrate

And here, spectacles happen

Image1
Making the floating basket
Image2
The Palace during Boon Bang Fai celebration

Boon Bang Fai - Skyrocket celebration

Beginning of planting season

Worshiping Vassakarn (god of rain)

We beg for plenty rain

Image3
People making Bang Fai (rocket)
Image4
Performance during Loy Krathong

Full moon night of Loy Krathong,

We float the baskets

Made of banana leaves

Decorated with flowers

Image5
People releasing Krathong
Image6
People releasing lanterns

We made lanterns,

We decorate our palace

We fly them into the sky

We worship the Lord Buddha

Image7
The Palace during Yi Peng celebration