On the way out to ABAC I happened to pass by another interesting piece of architecture, also in Bangna. This was Sumet Jumsai’s “word processor” building, a headquarters for the Nation Media group. The self-described “surrealist” Thai architect is known for his whimsical take on sculptural architecture with works including Sukhumvit Soi 31′s “Bird Building” (where I stayed), the astounding “Elephant Building” and the 1980s “Robot building” in Sathorn.
In his book on Bangkok, Asian cultural commenator Alex Kerr remarked on Bangkok’s fondness for buildings that “look like things” suggesting it resonates deeply in traditions of Thai art where the idea of “transformation” is central; a piece of fruit becomes a flower through carving, a mask turns a dancer into a demon. So why can’t an office building be a typewriter?
Or a bird?
Or an elephant? It is certainly hard to think of another city that is playful enough to turn its architecture into a practical joke, and laugh along with it.
