Architecture is a serious business. There are swathes of books about great buildings, famous architects, architectural movements and the like. But how many of these great buildings are fun? Well, Bangkok’s Robot Building is.

Strangely enough, the Lonely Planet guide to Thailand fails to mention it so when I saw a pair of eyes peering out across the smoggy Bangkok skyline I thought it was an optical illusion. As the Skytrain snakes around Sathorn, Bangkok’s financial district, it becomes clear that actually the building is a robot. It has eyes and ears (well, antennae), a body and legs. In a sprawling city that has some of the ugliest architecture ever, laid out in a way that suggests someone put lots of buildings in a bag, shook them hard and tipped them out it’s a bolt from the blue, if you'll pardon the pun.

This fantastic building was designed in 1985 by Sumet Jumsai, one of Thailand’s best-loved architects, also famous for the Bangkok's Elephant Building (which looks like an elephant). A contemporary of Buckminster Fuller he took inspiration from his son’s toy robot and let it loose on a design for the Bank of Asia (now United Overseas Bank) headquarters. A sign of the times, this cheery robot signifies the friendly face of technology.

For all that it looks like an elaborate joke, every robotic aspect is well-planned and well-used. His eyes are the dining and meeting rooms of the executive suites, his eyelids are sunshades, his antennae are lightning rods. His nuts were the biggest in the world at time of development. Planning regulations give him his stepped-back sides and the blue curtain walls representing the colour of the Bank of Thailand provide much-needed shade. If that wasn't enough, the robot's eyes were designed to wink at night along to music called "The Robot Symphony" by Jacques Bekaert, a Bangkok composer. I didn't see it at night so amn't sure if that actually happens. Let's hope so.

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Posted by Anne on August 02, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)

There's nothing unusual about finding a shrine in Bangkok, apart from this one. Instead of the usual Buddhist gods and spirits the Tuptim Shrine (also known as the Lingam Shrine) revolves around something that some might consider quite unholy. Tucked away at the back of the Nai Lert Park Hotel, ignominiously hiding under some trees by the tradesmens' entrance the brightly coloured scarves and offerings beckon you in. In the middle there is a traditional Thai spirit house festooned with gifts and garlands. Nothing unusual there. But on closer inspection the large black pillar beside the spirit house reveals a familiar but unusual shape - a giant penis. And indeed, all around the things that look like little sticks of wood and statues are all the same - loads and loads of penises; all shapes and sizes - fat ones, thin ones, tall ones, small ones, some that even have legs and a tail.

A sign explains:

The origins of Chao Mae Tuptim are obscure. It can only be recalled that a spirit house was built by Nai Lert for the spirit who was believed to reside in the large Sai (Ficus) tree.

The basic offerings are fragrant wreaths of snow-white jasmine flowers, incense sticks, pink and white lotus buds. Chao Mae Tuptim has received yet another, rather unconventional kind of gift, phallic in shape, both small and large, stylised and highly realistic. Over the years they have been brought by the thousands and today fill the area around the shrine. Confronted by the extraordinary display the shrine has automatically been concluded to be decidated to fertility.

The sheer numbers and variety are dazzling. Even the fence around the shrine is made out of little penises all standing to attention. Although the comedy value is high for some, the variety of gifts and offerings show that it's serious to those who come to pray for a family. Bangkok has a reputation for its sexual exploits but this is a peaceful antidote to some of the more in-your-face spectacles on offer in the city.

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Posted by Anne on February 25, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)