Bird Wave Bridge

The Bird Wave Bridge, a 50 metre long pedestrian bridge crossing over small watercourse from Rotfai Park to H.M. Queen Sirikit Park at the Northern part of Bangkok aims to bridge not only the physical gaps but also the public projects’ complicated process and general perception of urban parks.

The public green area in Bangkok is only about 3 m2 per person as opposed to minimum 9 m2 per person as suggested by The World Health Organization (WHO) that every city should have. The 3 m2 per person figure already compiled every green area possible from large parks to planted road median. Obviously not only the city lacks green space in terms of area but also the sizeable ones where greater capacity enables broader use and increase of urban biodiversity.

Within Chatuchak district, three main public parks are situated next to each other. The Rotfai Park, the H.M. Queen Sirikit Park (widely referred to as the Queen Park) and the Jatujak Park (nick name JJ Park). All the parks are under care of Public Parks Department of Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) even though the Queen Park is owned by H.M. Queen Sirikit Park Foundation. They were opened to public in 2002, 1992 and 1980 respectively. The area of the three parks combined is 116 hectare, which make it the biggest public park in Bangkok. Its full potential could greatly contribute to the city as Chatuchak District has become Bangkok’s new rail transport hub when Bangsue Grand Station opened in 2019 on the West of the Queen Park. Urban development has led the district to a density increase and a greater need for recreational green spaces.

However, BMA’s master plan to combine the three parks since 2008 has not been realized due to difference in land ownership resulting in the complicated inter-authority coordination, the difference in each of the parks’ concepts and programs and public concerns over the impact on existing use and cutting of trees. Passersby that cuts through these parks were also against the plan.

Currently, JJ Park, with its properly mowed open lawn suitable for leisurely activities and its location next to Mass Rail Transit as well as Underground stations, is well used throughout the week while Rotfai Park, formerly a State Railways Authority of Thailand’s golf course, is most popular during weekend for its biking route through photogenic rolling mounds.

The Queen Park has the least numbers of visitors due to its less accessibility, mainly by private transportation. It is separated from mass transit system by JJ Park and a road, and from Rotfai Park by the drainage moat. The only connection to Rotfai park was a temporary steel bridge from one corner of the Queen Park.

Contrary to the numbers of visitors, Queen Park has the most variety of plant species among all Bangkok’s public parks as its main purpose is to collect and exhibit native vegetation from throughout Thailand. Its biodiversity also attracts most variety of birds as surveyed by The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand. The park dedicated the northeastern portion next to its boundary to Rotfai Park to be “Bird Sanctuary” where vegetation are allowed to naturally grow, fallen leaves and branches are stacked to provide food and shelter for insects and dead trees are left in the moat’s shallow water for the turtles, lizards and birds to perch. Although well known among bird watchers, the area was considered untidy or dirty by some.

It is in the south end of the Bird Sanctuary that the Bird Wave Bridge was proposed by the landscape architects to the director board of the Queen Park in 2014 as the “trial” connection to allow a real use if the three parks had joined the unification without having to wait for the realization of the entire masterplan. After 2 years of approval process, the 60.000 USD budget for the bridge was granted by Public Parks Department and the softscape budget was funded by H.M. Queen Sirikit Park Foundation. The bridge was opened to public in August 2016.

The bridge’s location is at the North end of central axis from the Queen Park and crossing over small watercourses, curving away from existing mature trees, landing in Rotfai Park at 2 m lower elevation. The wave elevation of the bridge was employed to mitigate this level difference as well as paying homage to the traditional curved bridges in the Queen Park. The middle section of the bridge where it landed on a dike is curved out towards the Bird Sanctuary to create a “room” with tree crowns as roof; the semi-solid timber railing was raised around this area to form a blind with the integration of horizontal opening and wooden counter for birding activity.

The name “Bird Wave” tributes to its appearance as well as the surroundings in which it is situated, giving importance to the uses and function of the Bird Sanctuary and gently introducing the different kind of public green space where biodiversity can coexist with urban environment.

The bridge is primarily constructed with three materials; reinforced concrete for the footing and column, black painted steel for above ground structure and weathered timber for flooring and railing. The surrounding landscape affected by construction was redesigned in consultation with The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand to increase suitable living condition for small animals; banks were gently sloped into the water to provide feeding and refuge and various flowering shrubs and trees were planted to protect slope and attract insects. The next step to fully complete the project was fund raising to provide interpretive signage.

Even though the bridge is achieving its purpose to connect two parks and attract more users, only time will tell whether or not its humble goals to bring to public’s attention the other possible forms of public parks and to convey the idea of direct solution approach to the complicated public projects can be reached.