Group Building no.12
Chiang Mai Railway Station
depicted item: Chiang Mai Railway Station
source: Parinya Chukaew
date: 2014
1. Identity of building/ group of buildings/ urban scheme/ landscape/ garden
1.1 current name of building: Chiang Mai Railway Station
1.2 variant or former name: Chiang Mai Railway Station
1.3 number & name of street: 27 Charoenmuang Rd., Wat Ket
1.4 town: Mueang
1.5 province/state: Chiang Mai
1.6 zip code: 50300
1.7 country: Thailand
1.8 national grid reference:
1.9 classification/ typology: TRC
1.10 protection status & date: owned by The State Railway of Thailand and received the Architectural Conservation Awards 2006 from the Association of Siamese Architects Under Royal Patronage
2. History of building
2.1 original brief/ purpose: TRC
2.2 date completion: 1947-1948
2.3 architectural and other designers: Mom Chao Votayakorn Voravan
2.4 others associated with building: -
2.5 significant alterations with dates: Although there is no information about alteration date, the alteration details are documented. The original was redesigned to suit the current needs. Moreover, there was an extension of new area for restaurants and restrooms. This area was designed with the similar characteristics to the existing building.
2.6 current uses: railway station
2.7 current condition: good
3. Description
3.1 general description: The current Chiang Mai Railway Station was designed in 1946 by Mom Chao Votayakorn Voravan after the previous station was attacked by American air raid, B-24s, on 21st December 1943 during the World War II.
3.2 construction: masonry and plaster walls and half-timbered wall
3.3 context: The station is located at the intersection of Charoen Muang Road and Rat Uthit Road on the east bank of the Ping River in the city of Chiang Mai.
4. Evaluation
4.1 technical: Chiang Mai Railway Station, a rectangular floor plan building, is divided into 3 parts, west, east and central parts. Firstly, the west side has two storeys and consists of ticket office, staffs' office. Secondly, the east side includes administration office, lounge, restrooms, luggage storage and clock tower. Finally, the central part is a transitional area to connect the west, east and platforms.
4.2 social: Chiang Mai Railway Station has been the main railway transportation not only Chiang Mai province but also other provinces in the Northern Thailand.
4.3 cultural & aesthetic: The characteristics of the station can be called as the applied Thai style of central region of Thailand art decoration such as curved gable ends on the main building, four gable ends of the Clock tower's roof and moulding on the top part of columns. Furthermore, on the 2nd floor of the west part is half-timbered walls which may be influenced by the western architectural style.
4.4 historical: The official opening of Chiang Mai Railway Station was in 1948.
4.5 general assessment: Chiang Mai Railway Station is one of the Chiang Mai remarkable spots and one of the biggest stations in the Northern region of Thailand. It is a good example of east meet west architecture.
5. Documentation
5.1 principal references: Parinya Chukaew
5.2 visual material attached: Parinya Chukaew
5.3 rapporteur/ date: June 2014
6. Fiche report examination by ISC/R
name of examining ISC member:
date of examination:
approval:
working party/ref. n° :
NAi ref. n°:
comments:
