Architectural Changes of the Tripitaka Hall in the Sangkhawat Area in the Reign of King Rama III

Abstract

The Tripitaka Hall is an architectural work that is more structured and unique than any building in the Sangkhawat area. It reflects the usage and concept of meaning that is enshrined in Phra Dhamma Chedi. An important pattern inherited from the late Ayutthaya period and still appearing in the early Rattanakosin period is a raised wooden house built on a pillar in the middle of a pond. It consists of a layout with a balcony surrounding it, and there are special decorations showing the house is of high status. The purpose of this article is to understand the changes that occurred in the art style and architecture of the Tripitaka Hall during the reign of King Rama Nang Klao and also the causes of these changes.

A major change in the architecture of Hor Trai occurred during the reign of King Rama III. The major change is to change materials and structures from wooden houses to brick-and-mortar construction, and this coincides with the demolition and transformation of all the cloisters in the Sangkhawat area as the King wished to have the various temples restored. The main feature of the Hor Tri that remains is that it is raised on pillars or a high base, and includes a layout with a surrounding balcony as well as exquisite decorations that represent status. What has changed besides the materials and structures that make up the building are elements in the layout and location that are no longer located in the middle of the pond, and a shift from stand-alone buildings to locating them as part of a group in the Sangkhawat area with the introduction of the concept of area planning for buildings in the form of wooden dwellings (such as having a terrace or patio which is an open area connecting between houses). There is a fence and a draw wall connected to other buildings to create an enclosed area within the village, which is an important characteristic of the site layout that can be found by most of the Tri-Machinery towers in this group.