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This spring at the annual exposition of the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage (ASA) in Bangkok, Thai architecture firm HAS Design and Research unveiled an installation inspired by the country’s architectural heritage and natural landscape. Commissioned by Thai aluminum companies S-ONE Group and KIN in honor of ASA’s 90th anniversary, the swooping structure is composed of thousands of handcrafted aluminum rods. Elevated above the ground, the “Aluminum Grotto” creates an open space underneath for gathering, inspired by tai-tuns, the multifunctional spaces found under traditional Thai stilt houses. “The structure provided visitors with more than a visual experience,” says architect Jenchieh Hung, cofounding principal of HAS with Kulthida Songkittipakdee. “It became a place of rest, social interaction, and events—workshops, design seminars—that transformed the perception of the space.” Over the course of the expo, the Grotto attracted 10,000 daily visitors. Though intended to be a temporary structure, the project’s success led the clients to permanently install it at a public space in the city’s Khan Na Yao District.

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