22/05/2026
"Shophouses as the Bangkok Identity in Shifting, Adapting, and Evolving World" by Edbert Theo Fortino
“The Bangkok Meditation Hub - Shophouses as an Identity” is a project inspired by extensive research conducted over four months in the Grand Palace area, where the project is located. The concept draws heavily from the distinctive characteristics of Bangkok’s iconic shophouses, incorporating their form, function, and adaptability into the design. The transformative and multifunctional nature of these structures—used as banks, tattoo shops, restaurants, cafés, post offices, souvenir shops, department stores, and more, often combined with residential or additional commercial functions on upper floors—served as a cornerstone of inspiration.
This eclectic and layered functionality evokes parallels to the science fiction concept of a megastructure: a continuous form that integrates multiple functions seamlessly within a single entity. This idea aligns with Deleuze and Guattari's (1980) concept of the Rhizome, described as a dynamic, plural, and interwoven structure that fosters interconnected relationships, rejecting hierarchical and linear configurations. The Rhizome manifests as a complex, continuously growing network—an approach I sought to implement architecturally.
In the design, modular 3x3m boxes symbolize shophouses, meticulously stacked and arranged into five harmonious yet distinct structures. These structures are connected by additional extensions inspired by the informal, often unauthorized use of public pedestrian spaces by shophouse owners, reflecting Bangkok's characteristic spatial improvisation. This interconnected configuration forms a single, continuous structure that integrates diverse functions while emphasizing the Meditation Hub as the primary program.
The resulting design encapsulates Bangkok's urban tapestry, where shophouses, skyscrapers, and temples intertwine in a vibrant and dynamic coexistence. This vision aligns with the concept of a “distorted utopia”—a cybernetic, punk-like cityscape that juxtaposes tradition and modernity. By incorporating these elements, the project represents Bangkok as a dynamic, evolving city and creates a space that embodies its unique cultural and urban identity.
This project is part of the Advanced Architectural Design and Development 2024, Studio Section 2, led by Professor Jenchieh Hung (Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research).
i+mARCH – Master of Architecture in Architectural Design (International Program) at the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University
More works of Edbert Theo Fortino can be found below
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