, former_names = , alternate_names = , image = VimanmekMansion.jpg , image_alt = , caption = Vimanmek Mansion, built in 1900 by King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...

. , map_type = Thailand , map_alt = , map_caption = , altitude = , building_type = , architectural_style = Victorian-Thai , structural_system =

Dusit Palace Dusit Palace ( th, พระราชวังดุสิต, RTGS: ''Phra Ratcha Wang Dusit'') is a compound of royal residences in Bangkok, Thailand. Constructed over a large area north of Rattanakosin Island between 1897 and 1901 by King Ch ...

, cost = 15 million Siamese baht , ren_cost = , client = , owner = , current_tenants = , landlord = , address = , known_for = , location_country = Thailand , coordinates = , start_date = 1897 , completion_date = , inauguration_date = 27 March 1901 , renovation_date = 2019 , demolition_date = , destruction_date = , dimensions = , antenna_spire = , status = , top_floor = , other_dimensions = , floor_count = , floor_area = , seating_type = , seating_capacity = , elevator_count = , main_contractor = , architect = , architecture_firm = , structural_engineer = , services_engineer = , civil_engineer = , other_designers = , quantity_surveyor = , awards = , ren_architect = , ren_firm = , ren_str_engineer = , ren_serv_engineer = , ren_civ_engineer = , ren_oth_designers = , ren_qty_surveyor = , ren_awards = , url = , references = The Vimanmek Mansion ( th, พระที่นั่งวิมานเมฆ, ) is a former royal villa in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. It is in the

complex in Dusit District. it has been dismantled to allow for foundation repairs and will be rebuilt upon its completion.

History

In 1897

King Rama V Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

paid a royal visit to Europe, visiting many royal palaces. Upon his return he appropriated land for the construction of a royal garden which he named "Dusit Garden". Vimanmek Palace was constructed in 1900 by having the Munthatu Rattanaroj Residence in Phra Chuthathut Palace at

Ko Sichang Ko Sichang (or Koh Sichang, th, เกาะสีชัง, ) is a district (''amphoe'') of Chonburi province, Thailand. It consists of the island of Ko Sichang and its adjoining islands. Ko Sichang is in the Gulf of Thailand, 12 km off the ...

Chonburi Chonburi ( th, ชลบุรี, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and Mueang Chonburi District in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Bangkok, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Its name means 'city of water'. Cho ...

, dismantled and reassembled in Dusit Garden. It was the first permanent residence in the garden. Nails were used in its construction. The interior decoration combines European neo-classical style with traditional Thai motifs and architecture and early-20th century modernisation. Vimanmek Mansion is Victorian-style, with Western influences combined with Thai architecture. Golden

teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( pan ...

was the primary building material. The mansion is L-shaped, 60 meters by 20 meters. It has three levels and the residence is octagonal and has four levels. The lowest level is made of brick and cement and the upper levels are constructed of golden teak. The color of the roof is cream and red in Thai architectural style and the pattern of the window and ventilators is called ''kanom pang khing''. Each room of the mansion has a distinctive color—light blue, green, pink, ivory, or peach—and each room shows belongings of King Rama V and other noblemen. The 72 room Vimanmek Palace was inaugurated on 27 March 1901. It was used as a royal palace by King Rama V for five years until the completion of Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall in 1906. In 1932, Vimanmek Palace was used only as a storage place by the

Bureau of the Royal Household The Bureau of the Royal Household (BRH) ( th, สำนักพระราชวัง) is an agency of the monarchy of Thailand. In addition to a range of administrative and ceremonial responsibilities, the bureau also serves as a conduit for ...

.Guide to the Dusit Palace (brochure). In 1982

Queen Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born '' Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wi ...

asked

King Rama IX Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

, on the occasion of the Royal Bicentennial Celebrations of Bangkok, to renovate Vimanmek Palace for use as a museum to commemorate King Rama V by displaying his photographs, art works, and handicrafts, and to serve as a showcase of the Thai national heritage. The palace is now a tourist attraction and is the world's largest golden teakwood mansion. Vimanmek Mansion has been closed to visitors since 21 July 2016. In 2018, based on the satellite image from Google Maps, Vimanmek Mansion was demolished and stored in tents on the grounds of the adjacent parliament. In July 2019, an official in the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary clarified that the building had been disassembled to allow for the replacement of its deteriorating wood and metal pilings with steel pilings and a concrete foundation, and would be "rebuilt exactly as it looked" with the addition of a large fishpond to its north. However, it was also disclosed that it would be permanently closed and not re-opened to the public. According to documents, the cost of the construction works are estimated at 81 million

baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; sign: ฿; code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. SWIFT ranked the Thai baht as the 10th-m ...

Architecture

Vimanmek Mansion is one of the best examples of gingerbread houses in Thailand that gained popularity during the reign of King Rama V. It is a European and Thai-Contemporary architecture that uses elaborate

fretwork Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly us ...

on windows and air passages to create detailed embellishment.

History

Architecture

Gallery

References

Further reading