November_1967 — Page 20

THAILAND

HEUM

E

Ohbayashi - Gumi photo

SEATO HEADQUARTERS BUILDING BANGKOK

DE

EDICATION of the new headquar- ters of the South East Asia Treaty Organisation's headquarters building at Sri Ayudhya Road, Bangkok, in September coincided. with the 13th anniversary of the

organisation.

The building, completed at a cost of about US$1 million, is simple and functional in design. Of reinforced concrete frame construction, it com- prises a central cruciform-shaped of- fice block and a separate cafeteria building. The site, provided by the Thai Government, covers 48,000 sq. metres and the buildings have a total floor area of 8,000 sq. metres.

Detailed plans for the building were drawn in 1961 and 1962 by architects of the

the Department of Public and Municipal Works of the Royal Thai Government, with the assistance of consultants provided by the United Kingdom and United States Governments. These were approved by member Governments in September 1964. Site work and piling began shortly afterwards and

46

THAI DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC

& MUNICIPAL WORKS

OHBAYASHI-GUMI LTD.

the main contract was let in April, 1965.

a

The central block, rising to height of five floors, is flanked on each side by a wing raised on pillars to give three floors of office space above ground level.

Member governments of SEATO, in addition to sharing the cost of the building, have made distinctive con- tributions to its decoration and furnishing.

Panelling

The Council room, delegates' lounge and committee rooms are panelled in walnut and Queensland maple from Australia. The Philip pines has supplied narra panelling for

architects

main contractor

the main lobby and the suites of the Secretary-General and Chief of the Military Planning Office.

Thailand has contributed to the decoration of the delegates' lounge with two large paintings executed under the direction of Professor M.R. Poonsawat Kridakorn of the Faculty of Decorative Arts of the Silpakorn University.

Carpets for the Secretary-General's suite are from New Zealand and Pakistan has carpeted the executive lobby and library.

The United Kingdom has contri- buted a work in bronze by the well- known British sculptor, Bernard Meadows, entitled "Mother and Child" to stand in the centre of the executive lobby, while the United

Far East Architect & Builder November, 1967

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