The Church of Saint Raphael the Archangel, standing gracefully on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, has remained a spiritual landmark of the Pak Nam community for more than four decades. Completed around 1979, the church was originally designed by architect François Montocchio during the tenure of Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu.
In 2022, Cardinal Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij initiated a major restoration — not merely to modernize the structure, but to extend the life of an architecture that has long anchored the faith and memory of its people.
Prior to the restoration, portions of the structure had already been expanded by architect Manoch Sukchai of Triple One Architects, who extended the building further toward the riverfront. His intervention drew inspiration from the image of a sail embarking upon a journey.
The current design team, JUTI architects, was later entrusted to carry the vision forward. Their intention was to preserve the architectural essence of the original 40-year-old structure while reinterpreting it through the concept of Sail of Faith. Particular care was given to retaining the church’s iconic hyperbolic paraboloid roof — the defining feature that has distinguished the building for generations.
The restoration was completed in 2025 during the tenure of Archbishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana, allowing the church to continue its voyage of faith into a new era.
The renovation was conceived not as an act of reinvention, but as a dialogue between memory and contemporaneity. The design team focused deeply on the emotional connection between the church and its community. Layers of exposed electrical systems and outdated decorative elements were removed to reveal the purity of the original architecture. New systems were seamlessly blend within the building’s structure, allowing structure, light, and space to reclaim their prominence.
Lighting became one of the project’s most poetic instruments. Soft indirect illumination washes across the surfaces, creating a calm and contemplative atmosphere. The original architectural openings — once designed for natural ventilation in the tropical climate — were reinterpreted as channels for daylight during the day and hidden light coves during evening ceremonies. Outside, the dramatic hyperbolic roof is illuminated entirely from below. Warm, sail-like tones allow the concrete shell to appear almost weightless, as though suspended by wind and light above the ground, echoing the imagery of a vessel moving gently across water.
Internally, the spaces were refined to better support contemporary liturgical functions while preserving the church’s solemn grandeur. A new elevator was discreetly integrated for elderly accessibility. The original spiral staircase leading to the mezzanine was retained and enhanced with a sculptural new balustrade. Existing Makha wood pews, generously donated by members of the community decades ago, were carefully restored by hand, preserving the texture and warmth accumulated through years of worship. Religious statues, once painted in vivid colors, were softened into muted cream and earth tones to harmonize with the renewed architectural language, while retaining selected symbolic colors integral to their identity.
The lower level presented a different challenge. Because the ground floor had previously been raised to protect against tidal flooding, the ceiling height became compressed. Rather than conceal this limitation, the architects transformed it into an atmospheric architectural experience reminiscent of the vaulted crypts of European churches. Curved ceilings now follow the rhythm of the existing beams, visually extending the vertical volume toward the underside of the upper floor. Combined with textured stone walls and flowing indirect light, the chapel and multipurpose hall now feel serene, expansive, and deeply tactile — accommodating funerals, gatherings, education, and communal rituals with quiet dignity.
Externally, the original concrete surfaces were preserved and protected with self-cleaning coatings and modern cladding materials that enhance durability while brightening the church’s appearance. The forecourt was entirely reconfigured and elevated, becoming both a civic plaza and a resilient pedestrian link between the neighboring school and parking area during periods of high water from the river. The landscape was simplified into an open and contemplative ground plane, while familiar angel sculptures were repositioned with restraint and clarity. Their tones were softened to align with the renewed architecture, allowing the spiritual atmosphere to emerge with greater calmness and cohesion.
Ultimately, this restoration is far more than the renovation of an aging building. It is the quiet resurrection of the Church of Saint Raphael. Restoring not only its architectural beauty, but also its role as a living sanctuary for the people of Paknam. Through thoughtful continuity rather than erasure, the church moves gracefully into the present while carrying the faith, memory, and spirit of its community forward into the future.