Vimanmek Mansion
The Vimanmek Palace ( Thai พระที่นั่ง วิมาน เมฆ, pronunciation: [ p ʰ ráʔt ʰ î ː nan WIMA ː NME ː k], RTGS: Phrathinang Wimanmek, translated " Cloud Castle ", English and Vimanmek Teak Mansion) is a wholly -made teak building in the center of Bangkok, capital of Thailand. The building was formerly used as a royal residence. It is with its 81 rooms as the largest existing teak buildings worldwide.
Location
The Vimanmek Palace is located in the center of Bangkok behind the old building of the National Assembly in Dusit district at the Ratchawithi Street. It is part of the Dusit Palace. The Vimanmek Palace is surrounded entirely of channels ( Khlong ). From the south clockwise, these are the Khlong Ang Yok ( Jadeteich ), in the west Khlong Rank Ngoen ( silver channel), the Khlong Phaen Khab kachok (glass- smooth channel) and the Khlong Rong May Hom ( scented wood channel ).
History and use
The Vimanmek Palace was built at the instigation of King Chulalongkorn ( Rama V ) to the island of Ko Sichang in Chonburi province in the Gulf of Thailand in 1893 as Phra Thinang Manthatrattanarot.
In 1900, Chulalongkorn had transformed the palace building to its present location, which represented far from the old royal palace at the time a rural environment. When the building was ready for occupation after a solemn Inauguration Ceremony on 27 March 1901, the king lived temporarily in the 3rd floor, the wives and daughters were in the bottom two floors. He used the building as a residence until 1906, the Phra Thinang Amphon Sathan ( Amphon - Sathan Palace ) was completed, where he remained until his early death.
At the end of the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI. ) Let this live his royal consort Indharasaksachi in a part of Vimanmek Palace, after the death of her husband she moved to Suan Hong Residence north to the Vimanmek Palace. King Prajadhipok (Rama VII ) had carried out some minor renovations, such as the laying of electric lines and the repair of the artificial lake shore at Jadeteich. In 1935, Vimanmek Palace was abandoned and fell into oblivion.
1982 was Queen Sirikit on the occasion of the 200 anniversary celebrations of the founding of Bangkok as the new capital of Siam, dilapidated buildings reconstruct and renovate, so it is an important tourist attraction in the capital today. The royal apartments on the third floor have been restored in the style of King Chulalongkorn.
Architecture
The architecture of the building is decorated in a Western-influenced style, while the materials used come from Thailand. It consists of two orthogonally arranged wings, both of which are 30 meters long and 20 meters high. It has three floors and in the part where the King resided, four stories. The ground floor is built with bricks and cement, while the upper floors are made entirely of " Golden Teak ". This wood of the teak tree is, however, not plated, but is due to its yellowish tint so called.
Today 31 rooms are open as a museum, some of which reflect the contemporary atmosphere King Chulalongkorn, the bedrooms, the Audience Hall and the bathrooms. The first shower of Thailand said to have been built here and have been operated with a manual water supply to produce the necessary water pressure. Other rooms show arts and crafts, such as silverware, ceramics, glassware and ivory trade.