Bangkok’s Social Lighting and Urban Design Workshop hosted by Lighting Research and Innovation Centre (LRIC) with lab head Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanyaporn Bstieler, in collaboration with LSE, UK
On January 15, 2024, Dr. Chatchart Sitthiphan, Governor of Bangkok, came to view the mockups on-site, focusing on how lighting enhances historical sites as social spaces. The lighting simulations were done in the Rattanakosin island area, specifically at Mahakan Fort Park, as part of the Social Lighting and Urban Design Workshop which was attended by 30 lighting and design professionals coming from Thailand, other Southeast Asian countries and India.
Mahakan Fort Park along with nearby canal area is believed to be the suitable case study location. The development of lighting in this area will help contribute to increased safety and convenience when using public areas, and the connection point for traveling by wheel, rail, and boat (at Phan Fah Pier) provides spectacular lighting for both Thais and foreign visitors. Also, the historical sites (such as Mahakan Fort and Mahadthai Uthit Bridge), enhance Thailand’s architectural heritage, fostering pride in the locals and boosting nighttime tourism. This is consistent with the city’s vision and policy and it will benefit the public while also supporting the sustainable development of the nighttime landscape around Rattanakosin island.
The said workshop which ran between 12-15 January 2024 was organized by Lighting Research and Innovation Centre (LRIC), with lab head Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanyaporn Bstieler (School of Architecture and Design, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi) in coordination with a research group from the London School of Economics (LSE is located in the United Kingdom), under the Configuring Light Research Programme. Supported by LSE’s Knowledge Exchange and Impact Fund, it aimed to develop skills in understanding the social life of an urban space through community engagement, interviews, observations and documentations of a case study district, Mahakan Fort Park area of Bangkok.
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