Depending on where you’re standing, Wonderfruit could look like any other gathering in the world. But take a closer look and another picture emerges, one that is steeped in preloved materials cleverly masquerading as fantastical stages and imaginative art installations.
Our position has always been to save resources, and that includes upcycling and recycling materials that we use in construction. You can still find things we used for production in our early years being used across The Fields today. But it doesn’t look like trash; it’s sneaky like that. Instead, it’s presented as the moving parts to a stage or the finishing touches on an art installation…maybe you’ve noticed the colorful flags that have flanked our main entrance since 2018? Those were once unwanted silk offcuts from Jim Thompson.
Put it this way: when one structure goes down, another goes up, and until we’re ready to build again, we have a “scrap yard” that houses building materials. A lot of it never even leaves the site; it just lives there waiting for a designer or an artist to find another use for it. Not only is this area a playground for creators, but it also means we save emissions from transport to what would be a landfill and means we don’t have to source new raw materials for production. That’s a lot of big wins.
We love all our builds, but there are a couple we are especially proud of and think of them as small, sustainable feats:
The Soi Stage (2014): This will pull on the heartstrings of our day ones. Inspired by the rural farming life in Thailand, the Soi Stage was designed by Shrine On and Joel Stockdill, who used repurposed wood, metals, and plastics, all sourced from the surrounding area of Chonburi. The two majestic water buffaloes that stood sentry on either side of the stage were made of reclaimed timber and pallets from local shipping yards.
Living Stage (2018): A first-ever for The Fields, designer and Marvel Comics artist Adam Pollina built the Living Stage from five tonnes of bundled hemp branches reclaimed from harvest. Standing tall at nearly 15 meters and twice that in width, the structure was a feat in sustainable architecture and design.
A Singing Sea (2018): Artist Satit Raksasri adorned his bell-shaped installation-cum-shelter with discarded materials collected from Thailand’s beaches and waters. Once inside, Wonderers examined familiar objects and materials post-rescue and witnessed how they were transformed into a sculpted space.
Pearl & Celeste (2018 & 2019): Pearl & Celeste are a galaxy puppet ballet of giant proportions whose costumes were created from plastic waste and fabric offcuts. Conceptualized by Nice Monster, the pair spring to life in The Fields every day at sunset or sunrise—and we have it on good authority that you’ll be seeing a lot more from the Pearl & Celeste family soon.
Creature Stage (2019): Together with Indorama Ventures, a leader in PET plastic recycling, we created woven textiles made from recycled plastic bottles collected from recycling bins around Bangkok to decorate the Creature Stage’s vaulted ceiling. A focal point of the Living Village, the bright fabrics stood out while expanding our expression of a circular economy.
Cheese Shack (2019): Inspired by a karaoke bar in Tokyo, the Cheese Shack was a quirky communal space where Wonderers let out their singing divas. Designed by MPDstudio in Bangkok, the team decorated a hideaway in a tree with recycled and reused materials with the interior embellished by funky tones and old costumes, which guests to the Cheese Shack could take out and wear.
