The nominees of the arcVision Prize – Women and architecure, today.
MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2016. Focus on the project of Rachaporn Choochuey, nominee arcVision Prize 2013.
The MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, located in the northern Thai city of Chiangmai, a thriving art and cultural center, has been created to house an important private collection of Thai and regional art.
To present the collection, an old warehouse was dramatically transformed into a dynamic space that provides a well-facilitated platform for a wide range of activities. While the industrial spirit of the warehouse has been maintained, light wells that brighten and illuminate the interior space have been created with the use of local materials. In addition to the gallery space, a front section of the building was designed for support activities.
MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Courtesy of all(zone) design, 2016
From the exterior, the museum immediately draws attention because the main façade is clad with thousands of small, decorative mirror tiles that reflect light, a decorative technique inspired by traditional Thai temple architecture. However, here new techniques of installation have been applied to create tile patterns that explore contemporary art expressions.
The reflections help to dissolve the wall into the surroundings and vice versa, while at the same time, calling the attention of passersby with the lightness of the architecture.
Biography
Among the nominees of the first edition of the arcVision Prize – Women and architecture 2013. With the characteristic pragmatism of the younger generations of designers, as an architect Choochuey takes an extremely simple working approach to her projects: an open-air market, derelict houses/shops typical of Bangkok’s urbanization in the 20th century. In studying their reconstruction and re-use or re-inventing these typologies, she draws her inspiration from the local vernacular tradition, taking it to an even greater level of essentiality and integrating it with instruments to ensure energy independence (solar panels). Naturally helped by the particular climatic conditions, Choochuey’s architecture is made from transparency, light and air, above all from the interpersonal interactions it creates: hopefully, this interesting approach will be developed in architectural projects of greater importance, even though Choochuey devotes a great deal of her time to teaching in Thailand and abroad. Read more
Links