Elephant World

Earth excavated for a reservoir supplied some of the bricks at Elephant World in Surin Province, Thailand. Locally made fired-clay brick is used across a low museum and a 28-metre observation tower, connecting their construction to the landscape around them. Bangkok Project Studio completed the project in 2020 for a community with a long history of living and working alongside elephants. The buildings form part of a wider effort to support local livelihoods and restore forest and water systems.

The tower stands near recovering forest. Brick infill wraps an oval concrete frame, with openings admitting wind and partial views. Steel-mesh stairs climb through the centre, changing the outlook as visitors ascend.

At ground level, the museum spreads into brick-walled passages and courtyards. Four exhibition areas are accompanied by a library, seminar room and coffee shop. Courts of water alternate with exposed reddish earth, bringing the route repeatedly outdoors.

A separate Cultural Courtyard provides room for ceremonies and everyday gatherings beneath a broad sloping canopy. Shaped earth defines its edges, and timber slats line the roof’s underside. Without solid perimeter walls, the gathering space remains open to moving air.