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istics of Thai architecture and to learnmore about its meaning and relation-ship to other aspects of Thai culture.

Architecture can tell us muchabout a peoples way of life and

worldview.This inter-active, multi-media

exhibition introducesvisitors to the sala,showing what thesestructures mean andhow they are used by Thai people today their significance, role,forms, elements, processof construction,associated rituals, andbeliefs.

GRAND PALACE, BANGKOK; PHOTO BY PAUL CHESLEY

Curated by:

Virginia Hendersonand Michael Schuster

Photographs:

Paul Chesley,National Geographic photographer

Martin Collins

Jacque Gilbert

Installation Design:

Lynne Najitaand Michael Schuster

Architectural Models:

Silpakorn University

The East-West CenterArts Program presents

GEM OF THAIARCHITECTURE

In 1967, in a gesture to extend culturalunderstanding, His Majesty BhumibolAdulyadej, the King of Thailand gifteda traditional wooden Thai sala pavilion to the East-West Center.In October 2006 the oldsala was reconstructed

under the auspices of His Royal Majesty, andassembled by a crew of traditional artisans fromThailand.

The recentreconstruction of thistraditional Thai sala inHawaii presents theopportunity to celebratethe fascinating character-

EWC PHOTO, 1970s

Exhibition: March 8 May 23, 2007East-West Center Gallery, Honolulu, Hawaii

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Sala klang are found in all Thaiprovincial towns.These more enclosedbuildings are administrative centers anperform the functions of town hall andlaw court.

Increasingly in Thailand, traditionaand modern styles of sala are being bby private homeowners and in luxury hotels for tourists.

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Before erecting the sala, a ceremony iconducted to prepare the ground by paying respect and asking for blessing.the construction process, donated itemssuch as money and toy cars are buriedunderneath the floorboards.This isbelieved to bring prosperity to thebuilding and its users. Care is taken toalign the structure with the cardinalpoints.

Construction of the sala is similaa Thai home, but one obvious differencis that the sala has no walls. Liketraditional Thai houses, the sala is usumade of teak wood and composed of several hundred pieces. No nails areused in the construction process. Aningenious design enables planks of wooto be hinged or locked together andeasily dismantled and reassembled,should the owners wish to move thestructure to another location.The EWCsala was constructed in Bangkok,completely disassembled and shippedby container, then reconstructed atEast-West Center.

MONKS ON BANGKOK KLONG (CANAL); PHOTO BY PAUL CHESLEY

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An open-sided pavilion, the sala is afamiliar structure in Thailand where it isfound in the courtyards of temples andalong heavily traveled routes. It hasbecome a national symbol for Thailandand is distinctively recognizable as Thaiarchitecture with its simple, yet elegant

form.People use the salas versatile open

space in many ways. Most obviously, thesala serves as a shelter, giving shadefrom the hot tropical sun and heavy monsoon rain. It also is a living roomand a hub for community socialgatherings and village activities.Withinthe shade and shelter of the sala, peoplemight rest, catch the breeze or a fish,meditate and seek peace, meet friends,

share stories, wait for transport, or receive a massage.

Sala are commonly found alongriverbanks as boat piers, on roadsides asbus stops, in public and private gardens,and even in the middle of rice fields astemporary accommodation or storage.

Sala in Buddhist temple compounds

are open-air classrooms for monks tostudy dhamma lessons. For ThaiBuddhists, donating to temple (includingsala) construction is a merit-making act.At a Thai funeral, the body is crematedand in the case of a royal person, it isplaced upon a specially constructedornate pyre in the form of a sala. In thiscontext, the sala represents MountMeru, the center of the universe inBuddhist cosmology.

SALA MODEL FROM SILPAKORN UNIVERSITY;PHOTO BY SHAYNE HASEGAWA

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Traditional Thai houses and somesala are built on wooden stilts or pillarsto raise the living space above water or out of the reach of animals. Many structures are painted dark red anddecorated with ornaments of carvedwood. Eave brackets may also featuremotifs of the naga, kurt , lotus, andsometimes the mythological swan.Therooftops of most northern Thai buildingsfeature a kalae, or cross, which is thoughtto represent the horns of the buffalo.

Important Thai structures are oftendecorated with colored mirror mosaic(believed to ward off evil), mother-of-pearl and real gold leaf.

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Like the sala, the spirit house is acommon feature in Thailands landscape.Both are found in public and privatespaces and may take similar formsranging from simple wooden structuresto ornate mini-palaces. However, whilethe two Thai structures may appear similar, they are not directly related.

Spirit houses relate to the animistbelief that spirits of nature are all aroundus and live in the land and trees. Many Thai pay respect to these spirits, askingfor protection, success and happiness inthis and the next life.Virtually every

home, business, and compound inThailand contains a spirit house.

Two basic types of spirit housespredominate in Thailand: the san phrapum and the jaow thi.The san phra pumhas a guardian ( phra pum ) or angel(thevada) inside and balances on a singlepole.The jaow thi type features tiny grandmother and grandfather figurinesand is supported by four poles.

LD AND NEW: CHOFA PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARTIN COLLINS

SSAA L LAA FFEEAA TTUU RREESSA distinctive feature of the Thai sala ishe elegant and graceful sweeping lines

of the steeply sloping roof, the latter aesponse to the heavy tropical monsoonain. Atop the roof is the unique feature

of Thai architecture, derived from Khmer design, the chofa (literally meaning piece

of sky ).Though the distinctive chofa hasgraced Thai buildings for many centuries,oday there are various interpretations of ts meaning. Many believe it representshe mythical half-bird half-man figure of he krut (garuda in Sanscrit), guardian of he sky, hence its position on the building.

In Hindu mythology (from whichThai Buddism) is derived, the god VishnuNarai in Thai) rides a krut in his battles

against the underworld, represented by

he naga or serpent ( nak in Thai).Serpent-like features decorate thebargeboard along the edge of the gable.A form of the serpents head can beeen rising at the lower corners and

orange roof tiles suggest the serpentscales. In this way,Thai architectureeveals a story of the eternal struggle

between the sky and the undergroundlements, reflecting the tension between

air and gravity which holds a buildingogether.

ROADSIDE SALA,AYUTTHAYA; PHOTO BY JACQUE GILBERT

EAST AND WEST:AYUTTHAYA PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL CHESLEY

SPIRIT HOUSE ON KOH PHI PHI ISLAND;PHOTO BY WILLIAM FELTZ

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The East-West Center isan education and researchorganization established by the U.S.Congress in 1960 to strengthen

relations and understanding amongthe peoples and nations of Asia, thePacific, and the United States.TheCenter contributes to a peaceful,prosperous and just Asia Pacificcommunity by serving as a vigoroushub for cooperative research,education, and dialogue on criticalissues of common concern to theAsia Pacific region and the UnitedStates. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government,with additional support providedby private agencies, individuals,foundations, corporations, and thegovernments of the region.

The EWC Arts Program , partof the Office of External Affairs,for 25 years has enriched thecommunity through concerts,lectures, symposia, and exhibitionsfocusing on traditional arts of theregion, and by arranging cultural andeducational tours by artists who areskilled in bridging cultures.

EWC Arts Team: KarenKnudsen, director, External Affairs;William Feltz, coordinator; MichaelSchuster, Ph.D., curator; PattieDunn, arts outreach assistant; JaneS. Burke, arts assistant; mahalo alsoto Lynne Najita, Shayne Hasegawa,John Lewis, Ralph Carvalho, CarolMatsuda, Deanna OBrien, FlorenElman-Singh, Lucy Kamealoha,Charlene Fujishige, Reynold Balintec

and EWC Facilities Management.

Mahalo to the School of Architecture, Silpakorn University,Bangkok; Daniel Bernardoni, DBBCInc.; Kennedy & Preiss; Leilani Ng,Colorprints, Inc.; and Layla Schuster.

Gallery visitors interested in joiningthe Arts Ohana can obtain theappropriate flyer in the Gallery,telephone 944-7105, or go online:http://arts.EastWestCenter.org

East-West Center GalleryHonolulu, HawaiiJohn A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road (corner Dole St. & East-West Rd.)Gallery hours:Weekdays: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.Sundays: Noon-4:00 p.m.Closed Saturdays and holidays

For further information: 944-7177http://arts.EastWestCenter.org

Sunday, March 11, 1:30-3:30 p.m.Opening FestivitiesCelebration of the new EWC sala,1:30-2:00 p.m.Thai dance by Rose Sutrabutra

at the sala, mauka of Imin Center-Jefferson Hall, 1777 East-West RoadExhibition opening reception ,EWC Gallery, 2:00-3:30 p.m.Includes exhibition walk-through withcurators, refreshments

Sunday, March 18,12:00-1:45 p.m. & 2:00-3:45 p.m.Thai Feature Film ShowingThe Overture, 2004, a film about amaster musician of the ranad-ek (Thai xylophone)In Thai with English subtitles

Sunday, April 1, 2:00-3:00 p.m.Thai Dance Performance-demonstrationby Rose Sutrabutra

Sunday, April 22, 2:00-3:00 p.m.South and Southeast AsianPavilions,lecture by Kazi K. Ashraf, AssociateProfessor, School of Architecture,UH-Ma-noa

Sunday, May 6, 2:00-3:00 p.m.Sacred Sites and Landscapesof Thailand, lecture with slides by Dr. Poranee Natadecha-Sponsel,Chaminade University andProf. Leslie E. Sponsel, Director,

Ecological Anthropology Program,UH-Ma-noa

Special EventsAll in the EWC Gallery, admission free

These EWC Arts Programs are supported by theHawaii Pacific Rim Society, Friends of HawaiiCharities, Jackie Chan Foundation USA, and generous contributors to the EWC Foundation,including members of the EWC Arts Ohana.

2006 EWC SALA; PHOTO BY SHAYNE HASEGAWA