大象在泰国有着特殊的地位。它们是盛大的皇家仪式的一部分，在整个国家的古代历史中是国王的战争动物。除了受到尊重之外，大象和泰国人之间的关系也很独特–被当作家庭成员而不是宠物或劳动力。在泰国东北部素林省的奎族村落，这种关系可能是最牢固的。许多世纪以来，这个社区一直与大象生活在一起，他们的生活方式，从出生到死亡，几乎无法分开。

Elephants have a special status in Thailand. They are part of grand royal ceremonies and were war animals for Kings throughout the country’s ancient history. In addition to being respected, the relationship between elephants and Thai people is unique—being treated as family members rather than pets or labour. The bond is perhaps strongest in the village of the ethnic Kui in Surin province, north-eastern Thailand. For many centuries, the community has lived with elephants that their ways of life, from birth to death, can hardly be separated.

在过去的半个世纪里，苏林省的森林曾经郁郁葱葱，但由于经济作物的发展而被破坏。奎族人和他们的大象遭受了极端的干旱，食物和森林曾经提供的药用植物短缺。由于缺乏生计，这两头大象流离失所到旅游城市乞讨，或在大象营地工作，有些营地的生活条件并不理想。

Once lush greenery, the forest of Surin was destroyed in favour of cash crops in the last half-century. The Kui and their elephants suffered extreme droughts, shortages of food and medicinal plants the forest once provided. Deprived of sustenance, the two displaced to tourist towns begging for food or working in elephant camps, some with unsuitable living conditions.

大象博物馆是大象世界的一部分，该项目由当地政府发起，旨在将这两头大象带回它们的家园，并确保大象有合适的生活条件。博物馆不仅展示物品，还将描绘村民和生活在这里的200多头大象的心声–他们长期以来建立的家庭关系对剥削动物的残酷行为的不认同，以及他们对未来的希望。

Elephant Museum is part of Elephant World, a project initiated by the local government to bring the two back to their homeland and to ensure suitable living conditions for the elephants. Not only showcasing objects, but the museum shall also portray the voice of the villagers and more than 200 elephants living here—of their long-established familial relationship disapproval of the cruelty of animal exploitation, and of their hope for the future.

在广阔的无树景观中，不同高度的弧形墙壁从地面上冒出来，似乎向大象一样大小的游客开放了这个建筑。墙体倾斜，相互交叉，露出空隙，引导游客进入内部。

Amidst the vast treeless landscape, curved walls at varying heights sprout from the ground, seemingly opening the building up to visitors of an elephant’s size. The walls slope and cross one another, revealing gaps that lead visitors to the inside.

不同形状和大小的院子从四个展览馆中打开。有的充满了小水池，有的则是带红色的土，就像外面的风景一样。不同规模的户外路径、遮蔽的空间和开放的庭院，让人想起该地区的元素：从大象、人类、他们的房子、他们都在洗澡的池塘，到嬉戏的大象享受的土澡。

Courtyards of different shapes and sizes open up from the four exhibition galleries. Some are filled with small pools, some with reddish earth just like the landscape outside. Different scales of outdoor paths, sheltered space, and open courtyards, recall elements of the area: from elephants, humans, their houses, the ponds they both bathe, to the dirt bath the playful elephants enjoy.

描绘阳光下的生活，阳光是设计中的一个重要元素。房间和道路在某些区域被阳光照亮，而在其他区域则变暗。这些效果在一天中不断变化，取决于太阳的角度。展览可能发生在院子里或外墙上。而在画廊内，人们可能只能找到休息的座位，望着外面展示的内容，同时反思两个物种之间的共存。

Portraying life under the sun, sunlight is an essential element in the design. Rooms and paths are brightly lit by sunlight in certain areas and dimmed in others. The effects change throughout the day, depending on the angle of the sun. Exhibitions may happen in the courtyards or on exterior walls. And inside the galleries, one may only find seats to rest and look out at the content displayed outside while reflecting on the coexistence between the two species.

超过480,000块烧制好的粘土砖是用该地区发现的黄土，以世代相传的技术手工制成。在一个没有多少就业机会的小镇上，建筑过程为当地人创造了就业机会和收入，同时提高了经常被忽视的当地材料的价值。在离开家乡几十年后，该博物馆将赋予夔族、大象和苏林人民权力。博物馆的项目和建设过程将鼓励他们为自己的遗产感到自豪，并再次恢复他们心爱的大象的尊严。

Over 480,0000 fired clay bricks are made by hand from loam found in the area with the technique that has been passed down through generations. In a town where there are not many job opportunities, the construction process creates jobs and income for the locals while increasing the value of the often-overlooked local material. After decades of struggling away from home, the museum shall empower the Kui, the elephants, and the people of Surin. Its program and the building process shall encourage them to take pride in their heritage, and restore the dignity of their beloved elephants once again.

Architects: Bangkok Project Studio
Area: 5400 m²
Year: 2020
Photographs: Spaceshift Studio
Architect In Charge:Boonserm Premthada
Design Team:Boonserm Premthada, Nathan Mehl
Engineer:Preecha Suvaparpkul
Clients:Surin Provincial Administration Organisation
Consultants:Surin Provincial Administration Organisation
Engineering:Rattanachart Construction Company Limited
Construction:Rattanachart Construction Company Limited
Country:Thailand