Elephant Museum

In Thailand, many elephants have spent decades wandering streets or working in exploitative tourist camps, often alongside their human caretakers in conditions that threatened both their wellbeing and the Kui people’s cultural traditions. The Elephant Museum is part of the larger Elephant World initiative - a visionary project that provides the Kui and their elephants with a stable income through ethical ecotourism, while ensuring proper care and living conditions for the animals.

The museum acts as a cultural and architectural centrepiece, designed to help the Kui continue their centuries-old traditions that are deeply intertwined with elephant knowledge. Here, architecture becomes a medium for coexistence - built not only for humans but also at a scale that welcomes elephants. As the surrounding forest regenerates and water sources return, the hope is that nature will gradually reclaim the built structures, creating a landscape where humans, animals, and environment can thrive together.

Behind this project stands Thai architect Boonserm Premthada, whose practice redefines architecture as an act of empathy. Known for his work in rural and overlooked regions, Premthada uses materials, light, wind, sound, and scent to heighten our awareness of place and deepen our connection to nature. His belief that “architecture is the physical creation of an atmosphere” is at the heart of The Elephant Museum - where visitors are invited not just to observe but to feel the coexistence between humans and elephants.

Premthada’s philosophy extends across his other acclaimed projects, such as the Kantana Film Institute and the pavilion “A House for Humans and a House for Elephants” - works that explore the relationship between humans, animals, and the built environment. Through these, he demonstrates how architecture can honor local traditions, support ecological and cultural sustainability, and act as a temporary bridge between species. His vision is humble yet profound: that one day, the forest will reclaim his buildings - and what remains will be harmony between life, landscape, and memory.