CHEDI WAT SUNANTAWANARAM
Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi
Thailand
2011
CHEDI WAT SUNANTAWANARAM
Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi
Thailand
2011
CHEDI WAT SUNANTAWANARAM
Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi
Thailand
2011
The pagoda is part of the campus of the Wat Pa Sunantawanaram monastery in Kanchanaburi, one of Thailand lush provinces. Its primary purpose is to be the sentinel of the sacred Sareerikathat, or Buddha bone relic, a venerated artifact found in Buddhist temples. Initially, the shape of the pagoda appears to have been influenced by nearby Burmese architecture. However, as an additional feature to conventional pagodas, the round-shaped plan is transected by four axial porches, which create entrances to the functional space inside. Further enhancing the expressive form, red mosaics are applied as a finish to increase the degree of contrast with the green surroundings while offering an enigmatic sense of calm and tranquility. While the use of bright color may seem inappropriate, this effect is surprisingly found in many examples of ancient Thai architecture.