Gollo, Emilio Giovanni Eugenio
Name
Gollo, Emilio Giovanni Eugenio
Variant name
Emilio Gollo; Emilio Giovanni Gollo
Gender
Male
Birth
1873 Cisano
Death
1934
Descriptive Note
Emilio Giovanni Gollo traveled to Thailand in 1899 at the age of 26, having been selected by the Siamese Government to serve as a construction engineer in the Department of Public Works, which had recruited several Italians among its technician and engineers. The goal was to create a new urban landscape for Bangkok, from traditional water-city to modern land-city, at a crucial point in Siam’s advancement towards Western-style "progress."
Gollo was quickly promoted to the position of Chief Engineer. He worked on numerous architectural landmarks in Bangkok, such as Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Amporn Sathan Throne Hall, the residence of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in the Dusit Palace area, Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge, Phan Fa Lilat Bridge.
Gollo is perhaps best known for having resolved a difficult engineering problem, as the foundations of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall were sinking into the rice fields mud on which it rested. Taking inspiration from the barges that carried wood downriver from the Northern provinces, he decided that the structure had to be "floated" via a system of floating caissons to which an additional concrete floor gave the counterweight to stabilize the building.
With Chao Phraya Yommaraj, Gollo founded the Siam Cement Group, and collaborated with European partners in securing modern machinery to produce cement. He also joined the first generation of the company’s directors, from 1913 to 1925.
Golli participated in the prefabrication of the Pavilion of Siam for the Turin 1911 Exposition.
Roles
Makers, Architects and Engineers
Related Protagonists
Related Locations
Related Built Environment Objects