THE BIG SCULPTURE, MINI ARCHITECTURE

A guardhouse can either be viewed as small-scale architecture or as a large-scale art installation. Sometimes guardhouses are meticulously designed to physically and visually correspond with the spaces and the main buildings they are part of. It’s also very common to see factory-made or prefabricated structures, as well as those built by contractors, carpenters, steelworkers, or anyone who possesses the skill and experience to construct a simple structure. There are plenty of guardhouses that have been thoughtlessly set up using scrap wood and steel, resulting in those funny looking structures that seem out of place and unexpectedly amazing all at the same time. While some guardhouses show evidence of thoughtful design and attentive construction, not all of them are able to satisfy everyones needs. Perhaps that’s why, under those security uniforms, we see the instinct of an interior decorator expressed in the ways that the space has been brought to life. Everyday objects can be found, from batons to fans, chair, calendars, ice coolers, kettles, rice cookers, and chess boards, etc. It isn’t surprising for a guardhouse to appear like a large-scale art installation, bringing a smile to one’s face thanks to the miscellaneousness of the everyday objects that it’s made up of. This small space isn’t just somewhere one works, rests, eats, and sleeps; it reflects Thai identity and ordinary peoples way of life, doing their jobs and living their lives.