Abstract:
Phyathai Palace is an important national historic monument consists of groups of historic buildings. In 1997 some parts of the palace was conserved and maintained. The purpose of this thesis is to carry out a comparative study between the conservation work done on the renovated part of Phyathai Palace and the criteria for UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation practice. The research starts from the study of methods and procedures which are jointly carried out by the Phyathai Palace Conservation Project Committee and Dearborn Street Design International Co. Ltd., an architecture consulting company. The conservation procedure begins with collecting the information of all historic buildings in order to investigate their physical condition and researching into other historical evidences which are used for analyzing buildings values and their problems. After analyzing all the data, the objectives for conservation are chosen. Restoration is used on damaged buildings while renovation is used on mechanical works and other important architectural elements. During conservation, the consulting firm has made data and photo graphic recording of the process with a monthly report of construction process. After completion of conservation work, Phyathai Palace has become a place where community can learn about history and the public can use as a leisured space. The palace can also generate an amount of income to support the maintenance of its property in the future. The criteria for UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage conservation practice are analyzed to be used as the framework for comparative study. There are eleven criteria that involves the whole conservation process including the preservation and interpretation of building values, technique and process of conservation, appropriate building usage, management and building maintenance. After comparing Phyathal Palace conservation project with UNESCO criteria, it can be concluded that Phyathai Palace conservation project is an exemplar of good conservation practice. Its conservation process can be apply to other un-renovated historic buildings within the palace compound as well as other historic buildings with similar problems in the future.