RAMA 9 MUSEUM

The landscape architecture of the “Thailand Ecoregion” zone encompasses the total space of 12,782 square meters and consists of 3,200-square meter and 9.582-square meter indoor and exhibition program, respectively. As the last portion of ‘Our Life,’ which is the second part of Rama 9 Museum’s permanent exhibition, the purpose of the landscape architecture is to portray Thailand’s unique ecosystems through a simulation of geographical and physical features of the country’s diverse Ecoregions. The curated viewing experience hopes to communicate the body of knowledge, which revolves around different types of ecosystems. Viewers are led through simulated forestlands inside the museum’s building, to explore the landscapes where real and model trees and plants are grown, with soundscape technology incorporated to create an even more immersive experience. 

The simulated ecosystems range from Peat Swamp Forest, Tropical Rainforest, Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest, Savannah Grassland, Limestone Cave to Cloud Forest. Water is a pivotal element of the design, linking the indoor and outdoor zone together into one, connected narrative. The curatorial program intends for viewers to better understand the significance of ecosystems and the relationship between humans and nature while encouraging a deeper awareness in environmental and ecosystem conservation. The landscapes use real trees and plants that can thrive even in the exhibition space’s restricted physical environment from limited sunlight, artificial light to controlled humidity, ventilation and water, which are all critical elements to plants’ life cycle and survival. In the meantime, the exhibition space is designed to provide the right level of thermal comfort for an enjoyable viewing experience. The aforementioned factors lay the ground for how each simulated forest is situated in the exhibition’s program. The task is achieved through collaborative efforts between the design team, engineers, experts and academics to correctly illustrate physical characteristics and features of each ecosystem within the restrictions of the museum’s indoor spaces.  Meanwhile, the outdoor forest park occupies the area toward the east/south side of the project and is adjacent to a small canal, which links to the nearby Rama 9 reservoir. With the site located in a former wetland known as the “Rangsit Field”, the outdoor forest park is designed to help revive the area’s once healthy terrestrial local ecosystem.