Brilliant as this city is, Bangkok isn’t exactly known for an abundance of green spaces.
But a new community park is in the works that’s hoping to make the city a little greener anyway.
In commemoration of their centenary anniversary, Chulalongkorn University is transforming a 29-rai land plot – formerly used for commercial purposes – into a community park; free to enter, accessible for everyone and abounding in character and ecology.
Described as “a gift from Chula to society”, the park will honour the wish of King Rama V that the land be used for learning and to benefit society. The commercial leases on the land expired recently and provided the perfect opportunity for the university to both celebrate their 100 year anniversary and to give something back to the local community.
The press release sets out the park’s ambition to be the “new lungs of the city and a learning centre between students and communities, men and environment.”
It will be located on Chulalongkorn Soi 5, connecting Rama I and IV roads, according to the Bangkok Post, and will feature 10,000 square metres of recreational areas, 202 parking spaces, a bike lane, footpaths and a ‘constructed wetland’, intended to systemise and recycle the park’s wastewater.
There will also be a number of ponds, a rain garden and two reservoirs.
Helping to educate the community and hand down traditional learning will be the installation of eight permanent exhibitions in the park on the following topics: herbs, molehills, natural sounds, seeds, soil, solar power, trees and wood.
As well as being accessible for people in wheelchairs, visually impaired people will also be able to enjoy all aspects of the park as the exhibitions and signposts around the land will be available in braille format.
Chula will celebrate its centenary on 26 March 2017. Marking the start of the park project and also the university’s 99th anniversary, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn recently observed a ceremony seeing the planting of six chamchuri trees in the designated land plot.
Architecture studios Landprocess and N7A won the contract to design the park, and it’s thought construction work for the project will total over ฿200 million (US$5.75 million).
Featured image is an artist’s impression of the new park, courtesy of Chulalongkorn University
