Bangkok Design Week 2023 has extended its creative sphere to encompass a number of districts this year. Among them is Charoen Krung, where focus is on Varaporn House which opens its green space to those interested in learning more about the history and culture of the area until Sunday.
Varaporn Surawadee inherited the house from her mother before giving it to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in 2004. Located on Charoen Krung 43, the site is now part of the Bangkok Museum and includes the Insat-Sa-Ang Foundation and Dr Francis Christian Foundation which work together to promote the house as a folk learning centre, carrying on the intention of Varaporn whose career was as a teacher to spread knowledge about subjects such as archaeology, Buddhism and public health while also supporting activities that improve quality of life.
Varaporn, who was 82 when she passed away in 2017, worked with other Thai citizens from across the country to raise 40 million baht to stop the construction of an eight-storey building that might have had an adverse impact on the neighbourhood and the Bangkok Museum. The project would have taken up 105m² of land.
Varaporn House is more than a monument. Its grounds are a green space for the neighbourhood. The building also houses a collection of historic communal goods and antiques belonging to Varaporn's family. The home and its objects take visitors back in time to a depiction of life in Bangkok across three decades during the period 1927 and 1957.
As part of Bangkok Design Week 2023 and its emphasis on the old commercial district during the reign of King Rama IV, the Insat-Sa-Ang and Dr Francis Christian foundations present the exhibition "Ruean Varaporn" under the concept Muang Mit Dee (City's Good Friends).
To find out more, visit facebook.com/BkkMuseum.
