The Pavilion, known as a "sala" in Thailand, was crafted in by Thai artisans, and then shipped to Madison and reassembled by the artisans. The Pavilion is 40 feet long, 22 feet wide and 30 feet high. A reflecting pool located directly in front of the "sala" has been designed to provide a spectacular traditional entrance that accents the Pavilion's lacquer finish and intricate gold etchings. Olbrich's horticulture staff has designed a garden to replicate gardens in Thailand. "The setting for this garden is serene, emphasizing the organic elements of water, wood and stone," says Olbrich's Director of Horticulture, Jeff Epping. "Also, we select plants that grow well in our climate, yet mimic the form and texture of sub-tropical plants common to Thai Gardens."
The pavilion or
“sala”, is 40 feet long, 22 feet wide and 30 feet high.
It features gold leaf etchings, a
lacquer finish and intricate
decoration.
The estimated
value of the pavilion is $1.5 - 2 million.
The sala is a
common structure in Thailand. Its
most common use is as a street shelter from rain and heat.
This Thai pavilion is not a religious structure.
The pavilion is a
rich cultural symbol of Thai artisanship - it is crafted without nails or
screws.
Thai artisans
traveled to Madison to assemble the pavilion.
It took approximately 6 weeks to erect the
structure.
The pavilion is
environmentally friendly. There
are no endangered woods or materials used in its
construction.
The pavilion
was constructed with a ramp along one side making it accessible for all
visitors and meeting
current stat guidelines for accessibility.
Facts
about the Thailand/University of Wisconsin-Madison relationship:
There is a long
history of Thai students at the university, with approximately 700
UW-Madison Thai
graduates.
The UW-Madison
has one of the largest Thai student populations of any U.S. college or
university.
UW-Madison Thai
graduates are prominent civic and business leaders in Thailand.
This gift was
approved by Thailand’s royal family, his majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej,
and is therefore
especially colorful and ornate. It bears the Royal
seal of the Thai Crown.
The Thai
community and Madison regard this gift on a national scale that will
enhance the visibility and
respect for UW-Madison, the city of Madison and
the state of Wisconsin throughout Thailand.
The open-air
pavilion is a gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai
Government and the
Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni
Association.
The pavilion is
one of only four located outside of Thailand.
The other three are located in Germany,
Norway and Hawaii.
The new Thai
Garden will connect to the central gardens by a 155-foot arched ornamental
bridge that
spans Starkweather Creek.
The focal point
of this new Asian Garden is a Thai Pavilion or “sala.”
Olbrich was
chosen as the site for the sala because of its ideal garden setting, near
water, that is
aesthetically and culturally important for this pavilion.
This pavilion is
the only one outside of Thailand that will be surrounded by a garden.
The garden
surrounding the sala will have a traditional entrance with a reflecting
pool. The garden will
reflect
the rich cultural traditions of Thailand, emphasizing symbolic garden
elements.
Olbrich’s
Thai Pavilion and Garden is expected to be complete and open to the
public in June 2002.
Hardy plants to give Olbrich’s Thai Pavilion and Garden a Tropical feel
MADISON,
Wis., - Palm trees and bananas growing in Wisconsin?
Probably not, but plants of similar
form and structure will surely
make Olbrich’s Thai Pavilion feel right at home.
The centerpiece of the new
Thai Garden at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
will be a traditional Thai pavilion, or “sala.”
The ornate,
open-air structure is a gift to the University of
Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai government and the Thai
Chapter of the
Wisconsin Alumni Association. Olbrich’s
Thai pavilion will be the first outside of Thailand
to be surrounded by a
beautiful garden.
The new Thai
Garden will be located across Starkweather Creek from the current gardens.
It will be
connected to the central gardens by a 155-foot arched
ornamental bridge. The site
for the Thai pavilion
provides a setting near water, westerly orientation
and views of the central garden from the pavilion, all are
important
features in traditional gardens in Thailand.
One feature of
the garden will be a reflecting pool at the garden entrance.
The pavilion itself will be flanked
by three tranquil pools, which
will offer reflections of the gold-plated Royal seal and red lacquered
finish of
the sala. Only the
sacred Lotus plant - a highly revered plant in Thailand - will grow in the
reflecting pools.
A
naga, or
serpent-like figure, will be a three dimensional figure incorporated into
the garden design. The
Olbrich Thai bridge that links the Thai garden to the central gardens will
serve as the body of the naga
head. Stone
paving designs on the path may represent the snakeskin, tail and face of
the serpent. In
Thailand, the
naga is a symbolic figure. It
is the giver of rain and the holder of the power over wind and
thunderstorms.
The plant design
for the garden calls for a serene setting, de-emphasizing color and
emphasizing texture and
form. Jeff
Epping, Director of Horticulture at Olbrich, isn’t aware of other Thai
gardens in the U.S., which
he says makes the project exciting and
challenging. “We’ll
experiment with different plants and horticultural
techniques to use
common plants here and give them a tropical feel,” he explains.
“There are ornamental
grasses, such as the giant miscanthus which
gets 12 feet tall, and has the same feel as bamboo - it’s tall and
has a
cane like stem.” Epping
also expects to use hardy, big-leafed shrubs and trees that can be planted
and pruned to give them the look of large-leafed plants typical of a
tropical Thai garden.
The garden design
also includes glazed water jars and clipped tree art called mai dat, both
common
elements of Thai gardens. Mai
dat is a traditional horticulture feature in Thai gardens that has been
practiced since the 13th century. “we
plan on training a large Scots pine for the clipped tree art,” says
Epping. “We also plan to
use other potted conifers on the large brick-paved terraces to mimic
exotic
forms.” Another
important feature in the Thai gardens is fragrance and color.
“We have learned that gold
is desired for its auspicious
connotations and colored and patterned foliage is preferred, so we’ll
choose
plant species with these types of characteristics,” explains
Epping.
Olbrich current
gardens honor the Midwest region, climate and prairie style.
This new Thai garden will
allow Olbrich to try new plant varieties
and species. “Hopefully
this gift will open people’s eyes to a
different style of gardening,”
says Epping. “The beauty of
Olbrich as a site is that we can provide
a whole
garden setting for the pavilion.”
Construction of
the pavilion will be completed by the end of the year.
Garden construction will begin in
early spring of 2002.
Olbrich’s Thai Pavilion and Garden will open to the public in
June 2002.
Olbrich’s
Thai Pavilion a work of art
MADISON, Wis., - No nails. No screws. No metal fasteners of ant kind were used to craft the Thai pavilion that will be the centerpiece for Olbrich Botanical Gardens’ Thai Pavilion and Garden.
“This pavilion promises to offer the pinnacle of Thai art and design, “says Robert Bickner, professor of languages and cultures of Asia at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an Associate with the university’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
The pavilion is an open-air structure known in Thailand as a “sala.” The pavilion is a gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai government and the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
Thai pavilions are rare outside of Thailand. There are only three outside of the country. They are in Germany, Norway and Hawaii. This is the only pavilion outside of Thailand that will be surrounded by a garden.
Similar structures often appear at religious sites and temples in Thailand, but they are more commonly used for quiet reflection, picnics, weddings, and other celebrations. The pavilions are also routinely used to display the craftsmanship of Thai artisans.
“Simply constructed salas are seen all over the place in Thailand,” explains Bickner. “They are an emblem of the Thai culture. However, this gift to the university and Olbrich is quite elaborate and offers a wonderful example of Thai craftsmanship.”
Grand in structure, this sala is 40 feet long, 22 feet wide, 30 feet high and is adorned by he Royal seal of the Thai crown. It feature gold leaf, red lacquer finish and ornate decoration. The pavilion is estimated to be worth $1.5 - 2 million.
The placement of the pavilion at Olbrich Botanical Gardens offers an aesthetic garden setting to complement the intricate detail of the pavilion’s craftsmanship. It’s placement to Starkweather Creek, with an arched ornamental bridge linking it to the central gardens, is also important. “Thai people like the pavilions to be sited in pretty places, near water, if possible,” explains Bickner. “Flowing water is important in Thailand, where people rely on floods to irrigate the rice fields. Access to water has implications for good health and prosperity in Thailand.”
The pavilion will be shipped to the U.S. from Thailand in July. It will travel to Madison by rail. A team of Thai artisans will travel to Madison to erect the structure this fall. It will take approximately 6 weeks for the craftsmen to assemble the pavilion.
“This sala promises to be a one-of-a-kind structure,” says Bickner. “Madison is very fortunate to receive such a gift.”
Olbrich’s Thai Pavilion a rare gift
MADISON, Wis., - Olbrich’s Thai Pavilion is a gift so rare that there are only three outside of Thailand. The open-air pavilion, or “sala”, to be placed at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, is a gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the government of Thailand through its king. The other Thai pavilions are located in Germany, Sweden and Hawaii.
“This gift illustrates the loyalty that the alumni and the people of Thailand hold for the university and the city of Madison,” says LaMar Billups, special assistant to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John Wiley. “It’s truly a special symbol of their fondness for Wisconsin.”
There is a long-standing relationship between Thailand and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The UW-Madison has the largest number of Thai students of ant U.S. college or university. Thai student first began attending the university in 1917, and there are now nearly 700 of them who have graduated from the university. These graduates are currently business and civic leaders in Thailand. They attribute many of their leadership skills and respect for the democratic process to the time they spent in Madison at the university.
Billups says the pavilion and accompanying gardens will provide a unique educational, cultural and business partnership between Thailand, the university, the city and Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
“This pavilion will provide a resource for the university students studying Asian culture, landscape architecture and other disciplines,” says Billups. “It offers a tremendous resource.”
The pavilion is a common architectural feature in Thailand and other Asian countries. It is a secular structure that often appears at religious sites, but is more often used as a shelter from the rain and heat of the day. Similar pavilions are also used for cultural and civic events such as weddings, picnics and other celebrations. The Olbrich Thai pavilion is highly ornate, with gold leaf etchings, a lacquer finish that is adorned by the royal seal of the Thai Crown.
“We are pleased to have the Thai Pavilion. It provides an opportunity to expand and show the community a different style of gardening,” says Nancy Ragland, director of Olbrich Botanical Gardens. “Madison is a diverse community and this Thai pavilion and the surrounding garden will be an additional feature that will make everyone welcome at the gardens.”
Ragland says the
presence of the pavilion in the U.S. could bring greater regional and national
visibility to Olbrich Botanical Gardens’ educational and botanical mission.
“It is truly a treasure,” she says.
