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Phiphitthaphan Ban Dam (พิพิธภัณฑ์บ้านดำ),
or Ban Dam Museum, literally ‘Black Houses Museum’, is an unconventional and
somewhat outlandish museum located in Chiang Rai. The complex consists of a
tranquil garden interspersed with a collection of buildings, most of which are
dark in colour and constructed primarily from wood such as teak, though some are
built in brick. The museum is the brainchild of local artist Thawan Datchanee (ถวัลย์
ดัชนี), Ban Dam is regarded as his architectural masterpiece and one of the most
distinctive artistic sites in the country. Inside the museum, visitors encounter
a striking assemblage of Thawan’s paintings and sculptures, including
self-portraits, as well as numerous artefacts and furniture pieces adorned with
or made from animal materials such as bones, skulls, skins, and horns. Long
black tables lined with chairs crafted from buffalo and other animal horns,
together with crocodile skins displayed as decorative motifs, evoke an
atmosphere that is both ritualistic and symbolic of mortality and power. In
addition to Thai-style art and objects, the museum also houses Balinese and
Burmese artefacts, including Bedogol, Balinese-style door guardians, Burmese
legged nagah (นะคา), i.e. naga-like creatures with legs, and Burmese
mythological lions known as chintha (ခြင်္သေ့), reflecting Thawan’s fascination
with Southeast Asian cultural syncretism. The creation of Ban Dam began in 1975
and evolved continuously for more than four decades, serving not only as Thawan
Duchanee’s residence and studio but also as an intellectual retreat that
attracted researchers, artists, and students. Several academic institutions in
Thailand and abroad have supported scholarly engagement and residencies related
to the site, affirming its importance as a locus for intercultural and artistic
study. Occupying approximately 160,000 square metres, the museum complex
comprises over forty buildings scattered across a landscaped area. Each
structure possesses an individual character and purpose, ranging from exhibition
halls and pavilions to meditation spaces and residential quarters. The
architectural language is largely rooted in Lanna and northern Thai traditions
but reinterpreted through Thawan’s contemporary aesthetic sensibilities.
Mahawihaan (มหาวิหาร), or the “Ordination Hall” , constructed between 1999 and
2009, epitomises the synthesis of traditional wood craftsmanship and modern
conceptual architecture. The large rectangular structure—measuring roughly 20.3
metres wide, 44 metres long, and 44 metres high—is elevated 2.8 metres above the
ground on a brick foundation. It features forty-four massive wooden pillars, and
a four-tiered Lanna-style roof clad with unglazed clay tiles. Architectural
ornamentation includes hang hong (หางหงส์), baralee (บราลี), and chattra (ฉัตร),
all emblematic of sacred Thai design. Mahawihaan functions as an exhibition hall
for Thawan’s visual art and as a contemplative space reflecting Buddhist
philosophical themes. Phra Ubosot Lek (พระอุโบสถเล็ก), or the “Small Prayer
Hall”, completed in 1992, serves as a transitional structure leading toward
Mahawihaan. Its Lanna Thai Yai style incorporates intricate woodcarving,
terracotta roofing, and tiered rooflines. Standing one metre above the ground,
the wooden edifice features six pillars and a gabled roof rising to a height of
9.34 metres. The interior contains a carved wooden Buddha image, with the arch
blending Thai and Burmese stylistic influences. Sala Thit Chuang Tok (ศาลาทิศตะวันออก),
or the “East Pavilion”, built in 1994, is a multi-purpose hall characterised by
its mansard Lanna-style roof and minimalist spatial design. With wooden columns,
glass walls, and a raised mortar base, it serves both as a guesthouse and a
display area for indigenous northern Thai and hill tribe artefacts, including
musical instruments. The structure measures 3.6 by 5.6 metres and rises to a
height of 9 metres. Tri Phum (ไตรภูมิ), or the “Three Worlds House”, is among
the earliest structures at Ban Dam, constructed between 1976 and 1977 with
subsequent restorations following storm damage. The building is triangular in
plan and symbolic in concept, reflecting Buddhist cosmology and the three realms
of existence. Supported by twenty-five wooden pillars, the single-storey,
elevated structure housed Thawan’s studio and residence, and it is regarded as
the creative source of many of his works now displayed internationally. The
interior layout comprises two bedrooms flanking a central utility room. Ban Dam
Museum functions simultaneously as an art installation, architectural
exploration, and spiritual statement. Through the juxtaposition of natural
materials, animal remains, ritual artefacts, and symbolic design elements,
Thawan Datchanee’s creation invites contemplation on the coexistence of beauty
and mortality, tradition and modernity, and the cyclical nature of existence.
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