Abstract:
The ancient magnificent Western style commercial buildings in Bangkok were first
built about a hundred years ago. They were used as the port and the trade centers for
agricultural and also other kind of goods. At the present, those buildings are abandoned.
They were damaged and have become very fragile due to a lack of conservation and
preservation effects.
This research aims to explore the appropriate way to conserve and develop the
environmental arts using commercial building on Songward Road as a case study. Its
objectives are to explore man-made environmental conservation, focus on developing an
idea for building conservation in which buildings remain functional and to collect the
relevant secondary data from textbooks and journal articles. Those sources were the main
ones providing data about the concept of the environmental arts, theories of man-made
environmental conservation, preservation and development. Furthermore, report papers and
the Internet were used as resources for worldwide and updated relevant information. The
primary research was conducted by observation. Unusual aspects can be noticed. However,
there is a potential for bias. Thus the in-depth interview was the main source of primary
data. The semi-formal interview was chosen in terms of controlling time and type of data
from sixteen respondents. Eight of sixteen own those buildings. Three were from the
Bangkok Bureau. Two from the Department of Fine Arts and two academic researchers were
also chosen. The last one was the commune leader. Some questions were prepared to ask
their opinions about registering the buildings as historical sites. It was found that there were
many obstacles to those buildings not being very well conserved and developed.
Finally, a way to appropriately develop and conserve the buildings is recommended.
Firstly, those ancient buildings overlapping should be taken by one specific organization to
avoid overlapping. In addition, they should be protected by new regulations which are more
directly concerned with conserving and developing the environmental arts. Moreover, the
local people should participate in what they own. Making them aware of how important and
valuable the buildings are is necessary. Promoting the buildings as tourist attractions is
another possible way to stir local people’s current of conservation. Then secondly, giving
people more knowledge and encouraging suitable activities continuously. However, without
a well managed program, tourism could accelerate permanent change