Location: Bangkok, Thailand.

Architect: BVN.

The Australian Embassy in Bangkok is designed to reflect the importance of land in Australian culture. The embassy serves as a representation of Australian culture and government, as well as a place for performance and hospitality. The building was constructed with great care and attention to detail, using materials that express the visceral qualities of both Australian and Thai architecture. Bricks were chosen to match the traditional Thai brick, while timber was used throughout to reflect the heritage of timber in Australian buildings and Thai architecture. The atrium splits the large chancery in half, bringing direct sunlight deep onto the reflection pond floor and creating a literal and figurative cooling of the building. The combination of rarely seen Australian stone and Pibara Red from the Pilbara region in Western Australia in honed and finished tactility speaks of a “land” of rich materials, ancient stone in a lustrous setting. The embassy provides a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok street life, with water and planting integrated at ground level and curvaceous, undulating and homogeneous forms of the buildings. The result is a memorable Australian “place” within a greater Thai cultural context.

Photo credit: John Gollings.