用設計語彙致敬大象！泰國 Goya Tower 以大象糞便轉化為五彩繽紛的建築地標
用設計語彙致敬大象！泰國 Goya Tower 用大象便便轉化為五彩繽紛的建築地標
泰國攀牙府 (Phang Nga) 的 Goya Tower 是一座遠看色彩繽紛、近看會讓人驚嘆不已的獨特建築，外型彷彿「多層水果冰棒 」(Rocket Lolly)般色彩層疊的塔樓，最驚人的秘密在於所用建築材料：其實是由「大象糞便」所製成。
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建築師兼藝術家 Boonserm Premthada 繼著名的「大象世界 (Elephant World)」計畫後，再次展現對大象與環境的深度關懷；他觀察到象群排出的廢棄物中富含草、葉與果實纖維，便將這些大自然循環的產物轉化為建築素材。
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每塊象糞磚皆為手工製作，在陽光下曝曬烘乾，直徑達 33 公分、厚度 5 公分。這座塔樓共耗時一年完工，磚塊呈現五種色彩，串聯在中央鋼桿上層層堆疊，形成獨特的視覺律動。
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Goya Tower 設計深植於在地文化，所在的攀牙府與象群共生共榮，當地甚至有一座神似橫臥大象的石灰岩山「Khao Chang（象山）」。
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塔樓以當地出生的一頭母象「Goya」命名，位於 Matalay 大型度假村的入口處，作為地標之外，也是記述大象傳說與文化遺產的當代紀念碑。
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走進塔內，遊客能攀登階梯，穿梭在圓柱體之間，隨著彎曲的步道緩步上升，飽覽周邊地景，設計令人見識到 Boonserm Premthada 對材料的創新應用，體現出建築應與環境、人類及動物共生的「建築生命循環」。
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向世界證明了，即便是不起眼的廢棄物，透過設計與尊重的態度，也能轉化為連結社區情感的永恆空間。
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#泰國建築 #象糞磚 #實驗建築 #環境友善 #建築創新 #當代藝術
#GoyaTower #BoonsermPremthada #PhangNga #ElephantDung #SustainableArchitecture
#ThaiArchitecture #InnovativeMaterials #ArchitecturalCircleOfLife #CulturalHeritage #Matalay
#GoyaTower #BoonsermPremthada #泰國建築 #象糞磚 #永續建築
#環境友善 #建築創新 #當代藝術 #攀牙府 #文化傳承
你敢相信這座塔是用「大象糞便」蓋的嗎？
位於泰國攀牙府的 Goya Tower，外觀看起來就像五彩繽紛的火箭冰棒，其實它是建築師 Boonserm Premthada 的創意，利用大象排泄物中豐富的纖維製成磚塊。這不僅環保，更象徵著大象、土地與人類之間緊密的生命循環。
這棟塔樓為了向在地出生的大象 Goya 致敬，耗時一年手工製作磚塊，並以鋼桿層層堆疊而成。走進裡面，隨著曲折的步道攀升，可以看到圓柱體圍繞著你，窗外就是絕美的泰國地景。
這不只是蓋房子，更是一個關於「尊重自然」的藝術實驗。建築師把被視為廢棄物的象糞變成地標，讓這座塔成為連結人與大象文化的重要橋樑。下次去泰國，真的好想親眼看看這座充滿「故事」的建築啊！
Goya, a Thai tower in Phang Nga, offers more than meets the eye. At first glance, it is a flurry of sunset-coloured towers that cascade towards the sky, stopping at different heights. This alone is enough to grab a passerby’s attention, yet its material make-up is what is truly striking: elephant dung.
Humans’ use of animal dung to build is nothing new – it dates back millennia to the dawn of animal domestication – but here’s a contemporary take. Architect and artist Boonserm Premthada (his acclaimed Elephant World project won Best Sanctuary in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2021) began the project by looking at what elephants left behind – their waste comprises grass, leaves, and fruit. Elephant dung has been used to make paper, fertiliser, insect repellent, and even coffee (undigested coffee beans that have passed through the elephant’s system make for a smooth flavour, apparently – the resulting Black Ivory Coffee is the world's rarest and most expensive).
Turning the animal’s waste into bricks allows it to be more than a construction material; it becomes a symbolic nod to the connections between animal, earth, human, and architecture. Each elephant-dung brick is handmade, baked in sunlight, and measures 33cm in diameter and 5cm in thickness. The tower took a year to complete.
The bricks are produced in five colours, mimicking the pattern of a Rocket Lolly. They're then threaded onto a central steel rod and stacked to create a pattern. Upon entry, visitors can climb the stairs and see the cylindrical columns rise around them as they venture through the curved walkways, getting views of the landscape beyond.
The tower's context is central to the project. In southern Thailand, elephants and people have lived alongside one another, shaping the forests and settlements. Today, elephants remain deeply embedded in the identity of places such as Phang Nga. In the heart of the region is a limestone mountain, shaped like a reclining elephant. Titled Khao Chang (or Elephant Mountain), it’s where, according to local legend, a male elephant fell and turned to stone.
A new local landmark rooted in elephant lore and heritage, Goya Tower is named after a female elephant born in the area, and stands at the entrance to Matalay, an extensive resort project there.
Goya offers a beautiful, contemporary example of how buildings can be created to be deeply in tune with the people, environment, and community in an architectural circle of life.
(Image credit: Spaceshift studio)
