Worrasit Tantinipankul Lecture

Friday, November 16, 2012 at 12:20pm to 2:00pm

Milstein Hall, Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium 943 University Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

Thailand's Neglected Heritage: Challenges for Preserving the Vernacular Urban Landscape

Worrasit Tantinipankul attended the Faculty of Architecture at Silpakorn University, where he received his bachelor of architecture. In 1993, he joined the Synchron architectural firm, where he was assigned to work with the Committee for Historic Preservation and Development of Rattnakosin City, the historic district of Bangkok. It was this project which inspired him to search for a better understanding of urban space, Buddhist landmarks, and their histories. Having received a scholarship to study abroad, Tantinipankul earned a master in landscape architecture from the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in city and regional planning from Cornell University.

Tantinipankul’s talk will examine how historic urban communities in provincial towns across Thailand are facing rapid demolition as a result of urban development. Comprised of simple wooden shop houses reflecting humble architectural craftsmanship, the character of these historic provincial towns is one which reflects unique patterns of urban livelihood and culture in the Chao Phraya River Valley. And yet, this provincial urban cultural landscape does not figure into the official Thai conception of “architectural heritageThis talk also discusses the possibility of collaborative work among different state agencies and provincial urban communities for preserving their uniqueness.

Sponsored by the Department of City and Regional Planning, College of Architecture, Art, and Planning