Joachim Grassi (Italian spelling Gioachino, 1837 – 19 August 1904) was a

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

architect of Italian descent who worked for the Siamese government in the late nineteenth century. He was among the first European architects employed by King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

(Rama V), and contributed extensively to Siam (now known as Thailand)'s architecture, especially the Neo-Classic, during the time of its modernization.

Biography

Grassi was born in Capodistria under the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(in present-day

Koper Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...

, Slovenia). He moved from Shanghai to Bangkok and in 1870 he joined Bonneville, a French timber merchant firm in Thailand. Outlook in timber business wasn't bright for him but before he decided to leave the country, he got the contract to build the Concordia Club - the first foreigner club in Bangkok. Joachim Grassi married Lucie Nho in Siam and had three sons, Felix Auguste Grassi (1880), Eugène Cesar (1881-1941)The Siamese Composer Eugène Cinda Grassi Bangkok 1881- Paris 1941 by Philippe de Lustrac. https://tci-thaijo.org/index.php/JUCR/article/download/20326/17657/ and Georges Raphael (1884). He received French nationality in 1883. Around 1875, Grassi Brothers & Co., his civil engineers company was established with his two brothers, Antonio and Giacomo Grassi, situated on Chaopraya river in Klongsarn area opposite of UK Embassy then, providing architectural and construction services. In 1893, amid the conflict between Thailand and France, he sold his company, Grassi Brothers & Co. to Mr. Edward Bonnevillie and went back to his home town in Capodistria. He married Amalia Stölker, sister of Julius Stölker one of the partners in Grassi Brother & Co. and had two children. Joachim Grassi died on August 19, 1904, at the age of 68 in Capodistria.

Works

Grassi Brothers & Co.'s architectural and construction achievements in Thailand include: *

Concordia Club The O'Hara Student Center, formerly the Concordia Club, is a three-story, building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on O'Hara Street in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a contributing property to the Schen ...

, built around 1873 or earlier, the first (French) club in Siam, on Charoenkrung road near Rhongpasi lane, later changed to Hotel de la Prix and was long since demolished. * Bang Pa-in Palace (some of the buildings such as Warophat-Phiman throne hall (1872), Devaraj-Kunlai gate) *

Wat Niwet Thammaprawat Wat Niwet Thammaprawat Ratchaworawihan ( th, วัดนิเวศธรรมประวัติราชวรวิหาร) is a Buddhist temple (''wat'') of the Dhammayut Order, located within the grounds of the Bang Pa-In Royal Palace ...

, 1873–1875, a Buddhist temple in gothic style with a church tower in Bang Pa-in. *Residence of Phraya Rajanupraphan (Sudjai and Thui Bunnag), son of the Chaophraya Phanuwong Mahakosathibodi (Thuam Bunnag), circa. early 1870s *Residence of Chaophraya Surawong Waiyawat (Wora Bunnag) * Portuguese Ambassador's Residence (Portuguese Consulate in Bangkok), 1875 *

Buraphaphirom Palace Buraphaphirom Palace ( th, วังบูรพาภิรมย์) was situated in Bangkok, Thailand, this palace was built to be the residence of Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse, the origin of the royal family surname Bhanubandhu. The palace ...

, 1875–1880, demolished to give way to a market. *Prince Saisanitwong Palace, 1875-1882 *Prince Svasti Sobhon Palace, 1876-1877 *Prince Rajasakdi Samosorn Palace *Saphan Than Palace, circa 1879 *Courts of Justice, 1880-1882 * Tha Phra Palace, 1880-1883 *Statue of Queen Sunanda at

Saranrom Park Saranrom Park ( th, สวนสราญรมย์, , ) is a public park in Bangkok. It is located opposite the Grand Palace, between Sanam Chai, Charoen Krung and Rachini roads in Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon Distric ...

, 1880 * Sunandalaya School, 1880 *Printing house at Chang Rong Si Bridge, 1881-1882 *Residence of Chao Muen Wai Woranat, 1881–1882, was demolished and became Dusit Thani hotel *New Pratumwan Palace ( Windsor Palace or Wang Klang Thung or Wang Mai), 1881–1884, as the residence of the Crown Prince

Vajirunhis Maha Vajirunhis, Crown Prince of Siam ( th, มหาวชิรุณหิศ; ; 27 June 1878 – 4 January 1895) was the first Crown Prince of Thailand, Crown Prince of the Chakri dynasty. He was the first son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen ...

, later became part of Chulalongkorn University and was later demolished to make way for the construction of

Suphachalasai Stadium The National Stadium of Thailand ( th, สนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ or กรีฑาสถานแห่งชาติ) is a sports complex located in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok. Founded in 1937 with the construction of ...

. *Royal Barrack (Front soldier barracks), 1882–1884, now the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

*Cavalry barracks, 1883 or early *

Conception Church The Church of Immaculate Conception of Bangkok ( th, วัดคอนเซ็ปชัญแห่งพระแม่เจ้า, ), also known as Wat Khamen (, ), is the oldest Catholic church in Thailand. Its name Immaculate Conception come ...

bell tower, 1883 *

Saint Joseph Church In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

, 1883–1891, in Ayutthaya province. * Customs House, 1884–1887, a neo-paladian group of buildings next to the

French Embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of France, excluding honorary consulates. France's permanent representation abroad began in the reign of Francis I, when in 1522 he sent a delegation to the Swiss. Despite its reduced presence following decol ...

on Chao Phraya river. *

Chulachomklao Fort Phra Chulachomklao Fort (; also known as "Phra Chun Fort") is a water fortress in a sub-district in Khlong Bang Pla Kot, Phra Samut Chedi District, Samut Prakan Province. With no evidence of the date, approximately in March 1884, King Chulalo ...

, 1884–1893, Samutprakarn province *

Henry Alabaster Henry Alabaster (22 May 1836 – 9 August 1884) was a British-born diplomat who became an advisor to King Chulalongkorn of Siam. Early life and family Henry Alabaster was born in 1836, the son of James Chaloner Alabaster and Harriet Woodman. Hi ...

tomb monument in the

Bangkok Protestant Cemetery The Bangkok Protestant Cemetery is a cemetery catering mainly to the foreign community in Bangkok. To date, the cemetery has over 1800 interments (around 1100 names are legible on extant gravestones), and it is still accepting burials on a limited ...

, 1885 *

Assumption College Assumption College may refer to these educational institutions: Australia * Assumption College, Kilmore, Victoria * Assumption College, Warwick, Queensland Canada * Assumption University (Windsor, Ontario) (formerly Assumption College) * Assumpt ...

old school building, 1887-1890 *Victoria and Saovabhak Buildings at

Siriraj Hospital Siriraj Hospital ( th, โรงพยาบาลศิริราช; ) is the oldest and largest hospital in Thailand. It is in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus. It is the ...

, 1888 *

Hongkong and Shanghai Bank The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (), commonly known as HSBC (), was the parent entity of the multinational HSBC banking group until 1991, and is now its Hong Kong-based Asia-Pacific subsidiary. The largest bank in Hong ...

, 1888–1890, the first establishment on the mouth of Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, was demolished and now is the site of the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel. *

Old Bangkok Remand Prison The Bangkok Corrections Museum is an incarceration museum in Bangkok, Thailand. It is located on Maha Chai Road. It was planned to follow the Brixton Prison of England. The prison museum was established in 1939 in another prison, the Bang Kwang ...

(Bangkok maximum security prison), 1888–1891, on Maha Chai Road Other works: * Siam River Steamboat Company * Railway in Singapore * Antonio Grassi's tomb monument in

Koper, Slovenia Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...

, 1887 * Irrigation System Plan for Chaopraya river basin under Siam Lands, Canal and Irrigation Co., Ltd. * Rangsit Prayurasakdi Canal construction,1890 * Railway in Malacca, 1898

Gallery

File:Phra Thinang Varobhas Bimarn.jpg, Warophat Phiman Throne Hall 003 Side View of the Temple (9198527249).jpg,

File:Embassy of Portugal, Bangkok (I) (cropped).jpg, Portuguese Embassy in Bangkok 0005383 - โรงเรียนราชินี.jpg, Sunandalaya Building, Rajini School อาคารฟาซาล Fazal Building เชิงสะพานช้างโรงสี (October 2021) - img 01.jpg, The building by the Chang Rongsi Bridge Windsor Palace (Thailand).jpg, Windsor Palace Old Customs House, Bang Rak.jpg, Customs House Chulachomklao Fort 03.jpg, Chulachomklao Fort คณาจารย์และนักเรียนโรงเรียนอัสสัมชัญ หน้าตึกเก่า ไม่ทราบปีที่ถ่าย.jpg, Old Building of Assumption College เรือนจำพิเศษกรุงเทพมหานคร (เดิม) (1).JPG, Bangkok Remand Prison

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grassi, Joachim 19th-century Italian architects Expatriate architects in the Rattanakosin Kingdom Italian expatriates in Thailand 1837 births 1904 deaths