It may be small in size but the second practice monograph to be published from architects Jenchieh Hung And Kulthida Songkittipakdee, Founders of HAS design and research (HAS), packs a powerful punch.

At only 11.5 centimetres by 16.5 centimetres, it fits easily into a pocket but is also a book for the coffee table, with a multitude of images that help tell the story of the project, Museum of Modern Aluminium. With both English and Thai text, this little tome is right at home in Hung and Songkittipakdee’s country of Thailand as well as a broader English-speaking audience.

In the interest of transparency (and happily showing great bias), I was asked to contribute to this publication by writing a preface, and was honoured to accept the invitation.

HAS design and research has been on my radar for some years, and I have seen the practice grow, develop and strengthen. With its innovative and original projects, HAS certainly stands out from the crowd, so much so that the studio received the winning accolade in The Retail Space category at the 2023 INDE.Awards for Casa de Zanotta and was also shortlisted in the 2022 INDE.Awards, The Prodigy category.

Related: Read more about HAS design and research

The book, from MANufAcTURE to Architecture, Museum of Modern Aluminium, is the documentation of the architectural journey by Hung and Songkittipakdee from concept to completion of the Museum of Modern Aluminium, Thailand or MoMA.

The book presents narrative essays, drawings, diagrams and architectural photos to effectively convey design ideas, allowing the reader to comprehend the work and the dynamic relationship between ambition and reality, failure and success in the development of this intriguing architectural commission.

The 240-page book is divided into ten sections – From the Ordinary, The Transformers, The Saga Begins, HAS Experiment, Let there Be Light, Shine, The Secret Garden, MANufAcTURE, Fail Moment and To The Extraordinary. Each section offers insight and a veritable blow-by-blow of the design process chronicling every success and challenge through to the realisation of the project.

With this project, the ethos of Hung And Songkittipakdee (HAS) is explained as they investigate the relationship between nature and man-made structures, seeking to create a new type of architecture that blends seamlessly with the city. They refer to this approach as ‘The Improvised, MANufAcTURE and Chameleon Architecture’ and these ideas are central to every project from HAS.

HAS delves deep into the materiality of the Museum of Modern Aluminium, that sees a unique structure born from the metal. With Thailand being the most significant metal exporter to South-East Asia, this project is a celebration of form and style that elevates and celebrates aluminium.

from MANufAcTURE to Architecture, Museum of Modern Aluminium, is an intriguing and inciteful exploration of the thinking of HAS. It explains and details the ideas that have made Hung and Songkittipakdee celebrated as talented and inventive architects and designers. This book while small, packs a large design punch and should be in everyone’s library – at the very least as a guide to what can be achieved when you think big.

You can purchase the book here.

HAS design and research
hasdesignandresearch.com

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