When the renovation of gas station is the way to glorify skill of the craftsman in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
In a country that travels by car primarily like Thailand Gas stations is one of public space that is used daily by many people who travel by highway road.
PTTOR, an organization in charge of PTT's affiliated gas stations, had a project to renovate old gas stations around the country to become public sapce for passers and people in the local area. With the program of creating different types of public areas in empty spaces in gas stations. With the first pilot project in Saraphi district, Chiang Mai Province, in collaboration with Sher Maker, a multidisciplinary design studio which is interested in craft culture and experimenting with integrating craftsmanship and architecture into a new interesting design.
The original main sales building is 10 meters high, keeping the original structure and designed to be encased withthe facade. Sher maker begins to design by questioning the possibility of participation of local people by using materials and skills at a local craftmanship studio that has the expertise as a building material.The materials used must be created from the combination of knowledge, experimentation, and local Maker skill in the Chiang Mai are working together.
Ceramic works were used as building materials because of two main points. The first reason came from the application of construction material styles of Lanna architecture such as clay roof tiles turn to be wall facade part, Ceramic is a material that has the potential to be an external building material by itself.
And the second part is to glorify the craftsmanship of the local people. Chiang Mai is considered a province which has many interesting craft movements in many kind of skill.And is an area that attracts craftsmen in many fields come to set up a studio in Chiang Mai and always try to emerge the quality of their crafts.
The ceramic facade is designed to be linked to the color of the sky during the changing times in a day. With the different reflect angle the surface is designed to be curve tile.
Old style luster pearl glaze is used for this tile for plays with the reflection of light. The charm of ceramic work after glazing will cause each tile to have a slightly different color, resulting in a rhythm that reflects the environment of the architecture at different times.
Sher maker has co-developed ceramic tiles with 3 ceramic studios in Chaingmai. Making mock-up and burn first biscuits to see the contraction and weight of the structure with the Chatchaiwat studio and design consult with Maerim ceramic, which is a tile expert in Chiang Mai. Producing real materials with a pearl coating atSaraphi ceramic art and design, which located in the same area as the gas station.
Pearl coating technique is a technique that factory expertise and able to develop a production system that supports the building materials which fully demonstrated the potential of the technicians in the factory.
We hope this may be a pilot project that discusses the full use of local resources in the non-capital cities. Including local human resources Craftsmanship skills Knowledge and real income distribution to real local entrepreneurs.
Material Used :
1. Ceramic Facade From Saraphi Ceramic Arts And Design
