Nowhere was the Thai aesthetic on greater display than at The Grand Palace in the country’s capital city. In addition to the emphasis on height, tiered roofs, and finials, the palace grounds were brimming with other architectural elements.
Highly ornamented demon guard statues stood vigilant against any evil spirits foolish enough to enter the royal domain. In the background, colorful scalloped roof tiles.
The Phra Siratana Chedi, which housed relics of the Buddha, shimmers in the tropical sunlight like a gigantic bell ready to be rung.
The eight prangs or towers, each differently colored, represented the Noble Eightfold Path, central to the Buddhist faith.
Millions of iridescent glass tiles formed mosaics on the columns supporting the roof of the Phra Mondop or Library of Buddhist scripture.
Even from afar, the elaborate structure of the Hor Phra Gandhararat, containing a Buddha image supposedly capable of magically invoking rain, was spellbinding.
Within the royal compound was even a replica of the mysterious Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat.
Needless to say, what the Grand Palace did not lack was color, color, and more color.
