| Wat
Benchamabopit "The Marble Temple" (1899)
other
sites in Bangkok |
Bangkok, Thailand |
Click on an image to enlarge
The Marble Temple, or Wat Benjamabopit, as it is known to most Thais, was constructed in 1899 in the Dusit area of Bangkok, an area that bristles with 19th century buildings. It is situated on Nakhon Pathom road next to a canal. The ubosot (bot) of this temple is designed symmetrically with multiple layered roofs and beautifully balanced proportions. The sight is most impressive when one approaches the temple from the northern main entrance. Wat Benjamabopit is best known for the lavish use of Italian carrara marble, which was an almost priceless construction material at the time (actually it still is). The masonry halls are clad with large marble tiles and decorated with European-style stucco (very popular at the time). The roofs are covered with glazed Chinese terracotta tiles. The polished, reflective surfaces of these materials and the traditional gold-lacquered ornamentations give the temple a gleaming and glistening appearance in the sunlight.
Text by Thomas Knierim.
Bibliography:
All images copyright 2001 Thomas Knierim
Visit his webpage at www.thebigview.com
Aasen, Clarence. Architecture of Siam: A Cultural History and Interpretation
Oxford University Press. Oxford. 1998
Cummings, Joe. Thailand
Lonely Planet Publications. Singapore. 1990
Suksri, Naengnoi. Palaces of Bangkok: Royal Residences of the
Chakri Dynasty
Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1996.