Bangkok Modern: Architecture of the 1950s - 1970s

A lavishly illustrated and visually stunning study of the buildings that changed Bangkok from 1950-1970.

In the post-war decades, Thai architects, many of whom had studied abroad, embraced modern principles as they addressed the pressing demand for residential and commercial space, as well as the shortage of public facilities, in the rapidly growing capital of Thailand. With more than 300 documented buildings, Bangkok Modern provides an unprecedented and comprehensive overview of the architecture of this transformative period and is unique in combining photography, carefully researched background and scholarly essays. The book aims to serve as a visual document, raise awareness of the city’s modernist buildings and contribute to a better understanding and discussion of their architectural merits and their social, cultural, and historic value.

Walter Koditek is a German urban planner, author and photographer based in Hong Kong. After graduating at Technical University Berlin, Walter’s first professional life had him practicing for almost two decades at various planning/design consultancies and teaching at university. In 2006, he relocated to Asia, where he worked as an urban planning expert in Cambodia and Vietnam. He moved on to Hong Kong in 2014, using the city as a base for his consultant work, and documenting its unique architectural landscape with his camera whenever possible. Walter has always been a strong advocate of cultural heritage conservation. He published the photo book Battambang Heritage (2018, Apsara Books, Hong Kong) and co-authored the Architectural Guide Phnom Penh (2020, DOM Publishers, Berlin), before focusing on the modernist architectural legacy of Hong Kong.