THE NEW GOLD FROM THE BANK OF THAILAND

The history of The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has long been relevant to the development of the nation’s architecture. Within the perimeter of The Bang Khun Phrom Palace, Bangkok where its office is located, architecture of different styles and programs have been constructed to serve many purposes. The main palace’s Baroque and Rococo architecture was first converted into BOT’s office in 1945 after the 1932 Siamese Revolution. The adjacent Thewawet Palace, which stands out for its Neoclassic aesthetic, was later included as a part of BOT’s architectural program. The construction of the note printing works and main office buildings were finished in 1978 and 1982 respectively, with an architectural style that be speaks Tropical Modernism’s flair. In 2007, the current office building was the product of the Postmodernism movement, referencing the architectural compositions of the existing built structure of BOT’s own history. If one were to exemplify Rama VIII Bridge for its combination of a Thai aesthetic with modern engineering technology, Bang Khun Phrom Palace is the area where an eclectic cluster of historically significant architectural creations have existed through time. Nevertheless, since its role was transformed from serving as a palace during the era of the absolute monarchy to the office of the Bank of Thailand, limitations of architectural conservation as well as security have constrained the building from being completely open to public access.

For this particular reason, the birth of ‘The Bank of Thailand Learning Center’ is another monumental step, which, in the words of Dr. Veerathai Santiprabhob, the Governor of the Bank of Thailand, ‘opens a door’ and allows people to get to know more about one of the country’s longest-standing and most important institutions. The renovation of the note printing works into the Economic Cultural Center corresponds with the 75th anniversary of the organization. The idea for the refurbishment was initiated by Dr. Prasarn Trairatvorakul, one of the former Governors of the Bank of Thailand with intention being to create a public space where the general public and organizations could expand and deepen their financial literacy as well as learn about the history of the Bank of Thailand. Such initiative led the Bank of Thailand to host an architectural design competition in 2014 before choosing a collaboration between Creative Crews and Somdoon Architects as the winning project.

The frontal staircase that surrounds the courtyard and leads to the library, museum and river areas

A public space situated between two buildings creates a connection between the renovated main building and the old printing building

The challenge of this important design competition was the presentation of the new learning center through the renovation of the note printing works, which is considered to be a significant historical building in the country’s economic and architectural history. Not only was the building the country’s first note printing works, but it is also an architectural creation of great aesthetic value, whether for the barrel vault concrete roof whose overlapping structure helps to prevent the leakage of water and entering of heat into the building (and the fact that it is the only surviving barrel vault structure in Thailand). The building is the work of a team of architects led by M.L. Santhaya Israsena and an engineering team led by Dr. Rachot Kanjanavanit, who was responsible for the construction of several important projects in Thailand. The floor plan was materialized with the existing note printing works resting along the river and the five-story-high lab being located at its rear. The two-story office building stands in front of the lab and functions as the main entrance of this architectural cluster. The building was closed down in 2007 after the note printing operations were relocated to a larger property in the suburban Phuttamonthon area.

The main concept behind the design of Creative Crews resonates with the Bank of Thailand’s new corporate identity through the inclusion of a new semi-public space as a part of the existing building’s original program. The construction of a 26,500-square-meter program on the 4.35-acre land demands spaces that complement each other’s existence. The design therefore gauges some of the spaces out with the new interventions that include areas where different interactions are facilitated and accommodated. Firstly, the two-story office building was replaced with an open ground, stair and garden areas. This particular part of the program is the result of the architect’s collaboration with renowned landscape architecture firm Shma, and together they created a landscape that is physically and visually open, welcoming passersby in from Wisutkasat Road with the view of the spectacular Rama VIII Bridge serving as the setting. This open space allows users to access the grounds in front of the building on the second floor, which houses the main entrance to the library and the museum. The stairs/amphitheater links the area to the café, souvenir shop and archive hall on the ground floor. The expansive grounds also connects with the riverfront semi-outdoor area under the extended roof of the note printing works. The activity grounds on the second floor were conceived from the limitations of the riverfront area on the ground floor, which is rather narrow and visually blocked by the concrete barriers. The idea of changing one-third of the note printing works into a semi-public space differentiated the design from other entries, that often filled the entire program with functional spaces and enclosed them with walls.

The multifunctional space beside the river

/ NOT ONLY WAS THE BUILDING THE COUNTRY’S FIRST NOTE PRINTING WORKS, BUT IT IS ALSO AN ARCHITECTURAL CREATION OF GREAT AESTHETIC VALUE /

In addition to the front grounds and elevated riverfront space, Creative Crews inserted two portions of empty space inside the building. A spacious reception lobby was situated to physically link with the drop-off zone and be in a parallel orientation with the original lab building while the reception hall serves as the main entrance that eventually leads to the recreational area of the bank located inside the laboratory building. The mass of the 300-seat conference room is designed to overlap and project from the structure of the bank vault at the center of the note printing works. A set of escalators was installed in this particular area as well and can provide transport for a large number of people to the space located on the fifth floor of the building that functions as both a multi-purpose hall and an observation tower overlooking the riverfront view. These functional spaces are designed to collectively form a massive rectangular mass that rests itself above the roof structure of the note printing works. The architect left a void with a steel bridge being constructed as the main component that facilitates interactions between the higher, new intervention and the lower horizontal cluster of existing historical buildings

The library located at the old printing building where architects preserve a sense of openness and the old structure

The design of the functional space inside the note printing building comes with the challenge of having to transform the industrial space into the more modernized learning space of Prince Vivadhanajaya Library (the name commemorates the Bank of Thailand’s first Governor). The architect allocated the library area to occupy one-third of the riverfront space. The dense walls were demolished while the unobstructed spaciousness of the floor-to-ceiling space of the note printing works was preserved to accommodate the library’s future activities while granting a beautiful view of the majestic Rama VIII Bridge and the public park across the river. Further inside, the architect readjusted the mezzanine to better accommodate different elements of the library’s program such as a co-working space, “Idea Box,” meeting rooms, multimedia service corner and the digital library called “Econ Connect” with its database that links to other important financial libraries worldwide. For the library area, Creative Crews collaborated with Architectkidd for the design with the intention being to preserve the connection between different architectural compositions and the axis of the roof’s structure that visually leads the perspective to the river, including the void surrounding the bank vault, which was intentionally left to serve as the building’s central axis.

The area inside the printing building is utilized as an exhibition space exhibiting printing machines and the printing process

“The Bank of Thailand Museum” is another major part of the learning center’s program. The museum was relocated from Bang Khun Phrom Palace to the space in the bank vault in the note printing works. Giving the vault, which was originally a space where banknotes were kept, a new role of the museum signifies an attempt to preserve the Bank of Thailand’s history and paraphernalia. The room, which is constructed from the enclosure of 1-meter-thick walls is located at the heart of the four-story-high note printing works. Plan Motif was chosen to design the exhibition, which takes up the space of almost 1,600 square meters with ‘Still & Flow’ as its concept. The circulation was designed for viewers to walk into the Note Printing Exhibition on the second floor, which is one of the three riverfront spaces of the program. Exhibited alongside three large-scale note printing machines are examples of modern technology utilized in the banknote design and printing process. From the note printing works, viewers are led through the door of the intimidating bank vault into the space where a 360-degree animation mapping of The BOT Story is being shown. It serves as a preface to the Bank of Thailand Experience exhibition on the first floor of the vault. Apart from the history of the Bank of Thailand and three-dimensional models of all former governors, also featured is a game that simulates the policy implementation process of the federal bank under different challenging circumstances. Occupying the two underground floors is Money through the Ages, an exhibition that tells the story of the genesis of money through civilizations and the history of Thailand’s economy, including the exhibition of ancient coins and a rare collection of old banknotes from the past.

The renovation of this half-century-old note printing works of the Bank of Thailand into a Learning Center reflects the vision of the organization and its recognition of the importance of financial and economic literacy including its commitment to make such knowledge accessible to the public. It also exemplifies the integration of a creative economy as a part of the organization’s development through an opportunity that comes in the form of a design competition. It led to Creative Crews’ insightful proposal and approach where the creation of public space is not only presented but also prioritized. Such investment will continue the history of architecture in Bang Khun Phrom neighborhood, allowing for it to evolve and develop. The birth of the learning center is something that both the Bank of Thailand and Thai people can benefit from, and its success is a stepping stone toward new developments and a more promising future to come.

Inside the Mun Kong room is an exhibition featuring banknotes from various periods

1969 >> 2016 >> 2017