Designing for the people: Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast on museum architecture that celebrates artistry and embraces sustainability

Growing up in Thailand, he finds kinship with the Filipino sense of living in harmony with nature. “I started to form this idea of the Center being a shelter, where you can do art inside and outside, but you are covered under one big roof. I also like the idea of having these beautiful palm trees in the centre, which add a sense of welcome for those who appreciate resting under its shade and feeling the breeze from the Pasig River,” he describes.

This mindset of synchronising our way of life with the structures he built stems from Yantrasast’s upbringing and his fruitful career in Japan. “It [The Contemporary Art Center] should be designed based on the sensibilities of the people here. Each of us knows what our country’s culture is and should not be something imported to us,” the architect explains.

One thing that weaves together Yantrasast’s oeuvre is his persistence in letting the sense of place come through. “[The Contemporary Art Center] should feel like it has grown from the soil of the Philippines,” he tells Tatler. In his process, Yantrasast immersed himself in understanding traditional Filipino design forms and cultural heritage like craftsmanship, performing arts and textile art.

When he started WHY Architecture, the museum world started noticing his work. “At the time, no one talked about sustainability in building art museums. Things were completely different back then. So we started combining design and art aimed to uplift and inspire the people, but at the same time, efficient and friendly to the environment of the people and of the earth,” Yantrasast recalls.

Shifting the paradigm was not met without challenges for the relatively small architecture studio, but Yantrasast’s deep belief in his small team from diverse cultural backgrounds offered him immense opportunities to explore and realise possibilities.

Turning this historic place into something more meaningful is what excites Yantrasast about the project. Circuit Makati was the site of Santa Ana Park, a horse racetrack, throughout the 20th century. The site, which the Ayala Land now occupies for mixed-use development, offers Yantrasast opportunities to bring out its historical roots in the sense of community built around the riverfront, which the architect deems as the lifeblood of the city.

“Art is not just about paintings on the wall. As we envision this place as inclusive for the arts community and its potential visitors, we think of it as cooking cultures back together,” says Yantrasast. “I know how intimidating museums are for many people. We want to challenge that myth.”

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