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Reflections on ASEAN architecture
ASEAN architecture creatively interprets the region’s cultures and environments.
By Park Chang-hyun Architect

It is impossible to describe Southeast Asian architecture with just one word. That said, architecture is one of the best indicators of a country’s characteristics because it is so closely intertwined with its culture and environment. For this month’s issue, I would like to introduce structures made by Realrich Sjarief (Realrich Architecture Workshop), a young Indonesian architect whose family has worked in architecture for three generations, and the Bangkok-based Chatpong Chuenrudeemol(CHAT architects).
Sjarief’s home-studio was inspired by Indonesia’s hot and humid climate and the stone structures of two traditional temples: Batujaya and Borobudur. The Guha project, which houses a library, dental clinic, residence, and Sjarief’s studio Guha Bambu, is based on the concept of jiwo ketok (“architecture is a visualization of the soul,” coined by late Indonesian artist and thinker Seabad S. Soedjojono). The remarkable building expresses Indonesia’s spirit and traditions in Sjarief’s unique architectural language.
Chuenrudeemol frequently incorporates elements of Thai culture into his work that are not found anywhere else in the world. To an outsider, Bangkok may seem disorderly and devoid of logical thinking. A closer look at the city’s operating mechanisms, however, reveals a fluid, flexible relationship between Thailand’s environmental traits and cultural background—a foundational fixture of Chuenrudeemol’s works. One of his creations, the Samsen Street Hotel, is a renovation of an old motel that is characterized by unconventional spatial and structural modifications, recycled materials, and creative elements, all of which are based on the Thai people’s ability to quickly respond to any situation as well as their love of humor. Both buildings are also noteworthy for their refusal to rely on Western architectural principles to instead be heavily based in the culture and environment of their creators’ respective countries. The design for the ASEAN Culture House is no exception: it incorporates the steep roof and deeply-seated eaves of a traditional tropical home. Today, ASEAN architects continue to create original architectural styles based on their personal identity.

The contents of all articles may differ from the editorial direction of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly.