At the southeastern edge of Chinatown, Bangkok’s main train station was built by Dutch architects and engineers between 1910 and 1916.
It was designed in a neoclassical style by Italian architect-and-engineer combination Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti, who were working at the same time on the grand Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall at Dusit. It also embraces other influences, such as the patterned, two-toned skylights that exemplify nascent De Stijl Dutch modernism – it is through these that it is known as an early example of the shift towards Thai Art Deco. If you can zone out of the chaos for a moment, look for the vaulted iron roof and neoclassical portico, which were a state-of-the-art engineering feat.
