An exhibition with vision and meaning in Bangkok, Thailand

A not to be missed exhibition titled, Collective Language – Asian Contemporary Architecture Exhibition will open in Bangkok on Tuesday, April 30^th, 2024. The exposition will be the country’s largest and most important international architectural exhibition from The Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage Exposition 2024 (ASA Architect Expo 2024). Organised by The Association of Siamese Architects Under Royal Patronage, in collaboration with TTF International Company Limited, the line-up is a who’s who in the world of architecture from the region and indeed around the globe.

Principal curator is Jenchieh Hung, the exhibition chairman of The Association of Siamese Architects Under Royal Patronage, and co-founder of HAS design and research with Kulthida Songkittipakdee. The executive curator is Nada Inthaphunt from The Association of Siamese Architects Under Royal Patronage.

The exhibition’s theme of Collective Language, reflects on the symbiotic relationship between people and architecture in various Asian regions, highlighting concepts such as scale, volume, contrast, dynamics, thermal, resilience, legacy, harmony, and compression.

The theme also explores the diversity and distinctions that language brings to hearing, vision, touch, and smell, and is structured into three chapters. In Sound – Language of Humanity, the works not only utilise scale, volume, and contrast to establish a clear spatial vocabulary for visitors or residents but also underscores how architecture can act as a catalyst to stimulate interaction between people and their surroundings.

In Silent – Language of Shading, silent architects use environmental conditions such as contrast, dynamics, and thermal qualities as design elements. They combine materials, craftsmanship, and construction to create a multidimensional, silent space. With Perceive – Language of Ritual, four projects from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh exemplify how architecture can embody concepts such as legacy, harmony, and compression.

Through these three distinct pillars, nearly 50 architectural firms from 15 Asian countries showcase the contemporary architecture of our region.

Participating in Collective Language – Asian Contemporary Architecture Exhibition are:

Japan:
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP, Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa – SANAA, Nori Architects and Asanuma Corporation, Yamazaki Kentaro Design Workshop

South Korea:
Mass Studies, SAC International, Shin Architects, THE_SYSTEM LAB

China:
Arcplus Group PLC, BIAD Huyue Studio, China Architecture Design & Research Group, Studio Zhu Pei

Hong Kong:
Architectural Services Department, Index Architecture Limited, Nelson Chen Architects

Singapore:
K2 Habitus, WOHA

Malaysia:
GDP Architects, smallprojects, VERITAS Architects

Thailand:
Plan Architect

Vietnam:
1+1>2 Architects, AHL Architects, BHA Architects, Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Laos:
Archineer Associates, LAO+ Architects, Tomi Atelier

Indonesia:
andramatin

Philippines:
Carlos Arnaiz Architects – CAZA, Garcia+Lee Architects, GWorks Architectural Services, Zubu Design Associates

Bangladesh:
Domus Architects, Marina Tabassum Architects, VITTI Sthapati Brindo Ltd.

India:
Architecture RED, Juhi Mehta Architects, Malik Architecture, RMA Architects

Nepal:
Kalpasara Studio, Prabal Thapa Architects, Tattva: Consult Pvt. Ltd

Pakistan:
Caleco Studio Architects, Design Insight, Suhail & Fawad Architects

Sri Lanka:
Thisara Thanapathy Associates

Hung and Inthaphunt have curated a truly distinguished group of architects from many countries throughout the Indo-Pacific and, through the theme, the participants contribute a rich tapestry of design and thinking to the exhibition. Each practice represents distinct cultural backgrounds, climatic conditions, and social developments, indirectly or directly expressed in how buildings respond to the language of architecture.

Hung, as exhibition chairman and principal curator, explained that the exhibition illustrates how sound, silence, and perception are integrated into architectural space, embodying the languages of humanity, shading, and ritual. The practices and their work represent not only a collective language but also offers Asian contemporary architecture a means to reconsider the possibilities of future trends.

The exhibition will commence on 30th April and run until 5th May 2024 and will be held at the Impact Arena Exhibition & Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand.

Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida Songkittipakdee, co-founders of HAS design and research, were the winners of The Retail Space category at the 2023 INDE.Awards.

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