Sunday, January 23, 2011

If I could do exactly as I wished......

I would love to transform a shophouse in Phuket town. There are more and more transformations happening of late as Phuket town residents realize the tourist dollar value in rescuing many of the old facades. The interiors are usually a lovely blank canvas. Here is some pictures from my last trip to town.











6 comments:

Concept Interiors said...

need a partner?I love this house!!Is this Thai architecture? I don't know the history of Phuket.
Very interesting!

Concrete Jungle said...

It is know as Sino-Portuguese. It is not traditional Thai architecture. The style spreads from Singapore through
to Bangkok as far as I know. Most construction in this Sino-Portuguese style was built during Phuket's tin mining hey days. Old southern Thai houses tend to be on stilts and built of wood. Low roof lines in the south. Check this old post to see what really can be done with a shophouse!
http://www.concretejungleblogspot.com/search/label/Singapore

FROM THE RIGHT BANK said...

I love, love, love the historic shophouses in Southeast Asia. It would be a dream to remodel one of these!

columnist said...

It's nice to hear that there are attempts to preserve these in Phuket. Unfortunately this is not a huge priority in most, (if not all) of Bangkok, and I think it's such a missed opportunity. But there are so many other priorities, and for most people, limited funds. That said, I'm surprised that the great motivator in this and most societies - money - isn't obvious for some to see. We have many glitzy shopping malls as you know, and these would make for a much more interesting experience for locals and tourists alike. I shall dream on...

Concrete Jungle said...

Dear columnist,
This seems to be a recent (last five years or so) idea here in Phuket Town. Two major streets in the heart of town have had the wires put below ground along with
trying to restore the walkways between the shop houses. Already you can see more tourists in the area.
They also have a heritage week festival so slowly but surely.
Thanks for taking the time to write a comment.
Heather

kim said...

Such beautiful buildings - classic architecture is always an asset, isn't it? (Came via Procrastination Mama - looks like I have lots on your blog to catch up on!)