Thai Pavilion

Madison's Thai Pavilion is a show-piece in a show-place. The Olbrich Botanical Gardens, which house the pavilion, are a highlight of any visit to this area of Wiconsin. There are actually 10 different gardens, every one of them beautiful in its own way. In fact, one visit probably won't be enough to explore the lovely paths and admire the flowers, plants and scenery.

The Thai Pavilion, a gift from Thai alumni of the University of Wisconsin, is only one of four such structures located outside of Thailand. Construction by artisons from Thailand took six weeks.

The building, which contains no nails or screws, is covered with intricately decorated gold leaf. While the building as a whole is beautiful, close examination revelase exquisite details and patterns. The photo above shows a portion of the glittering roof.

The garden surrounding the pavilion and its layout are designed to harmonize with the building. The emphasis is on form and structure rather than color. At right is one of the small sculptures, surrounded by greenery, that are found in the garden.