Development of Appearances of Thai Court from B.E. 2425 to 2567

Abstract

A court is a type of architecture with specific functions for conducting civil and criminal trials across the country. This article is a document-based research that aims to illustrate the development of the exterior appearances of court buildings in Thailand and the factors influencing such changes. The evolution of court appearances can be divided into four periods: (1) the absolute monarchy period (B.E. 2425–2474) with the main appearance of Western-style architecture; (2) the people’s party period (B.E. 2475–2489) characterized by modern architecture; (3) the period of standard design by the Department of Public Works (B.E. 2490–2542) with the main appearance of Thai architecture combined with reinforced concrete construction; and (4) the period of outsourcing to private companies (B.E. 2543–2567) with the main appearance of postmodern architecture. The key factors influencing the development in each period include: (1) the form of government, which affects the symbolic representation of state authority in court architecture; (2) economic conditions that influence design and construction decisions based on budgetary constraints; (3) architectural trends that guide decisions on the exterior appearance; (4) construction technology affecting the selection of building materials and structural systems; and (5) security standards that shape spatial organization and circulation, which in turn influence the exterior form of the building. These factors result in distinctive exterior appearances of court buildings in each period. The findings can serve as supporting information for the future design and renovation of court buildings.