LADYBUG IN FLIGHT
Lumpini public library gets new look
Ared ladybug lives in the heart of Lumpini Park, the country’s first public park, but it cannot fly and its black spots were not designed to scare away predators. Quite the reverse: it is being billed as a new magnet to promote early education in Thailand.
While the 360-rai park is a popular haunt among morning joggers and boaters on its artificial lake, few know it is home to Bangkok’s first public library, which opened last month after extensive renovations. And, of course, the ladybug redesign.
The library was built over six decades ago but its children’s section was lacking. Shoring this up aligns with a broader policy of encouraging both children and adults, to read more. Its official new name as of Oct 30 is the HSBC Lumpini Park Children’s Library.
The Thai Red Cross Fair 2018 opened at the park on Nov 23 and runs until Dec 1, creating a perfect excuse to drop by and check it out.
The renovation effort is a joint project between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). HSBC, the first commercial bank to open in Thailand, is now feting its 130th year in the kingdom.
Kelvin Tan, CEO of HSBC Thailand, said the bank is focusing more these days on projects to develop the education and vocational skills of young people.
There are also plans to provide lessons for children so they can study the English language, learn financial literacy, engage in do-it-yourself projects and learn about recycling.
The renovation work was necessary, he said, to keep pace with the era of digital encyclopedias like Wikipedia and Google, when libraries no longer just serve as an archive of books and documents with maybe a few reading rooms thrown in.
The library has two levels. The second floor, which was added later, covers 168 square metres and had been used as a more basic children’s library and kids corner prior to the makeover.
The renovation project transformed this section, adding an artificial turf so children can enjoy a broader spectrum of leisure activities.
Some partition walls and panels were removed. A huge monitor has been placed in the middle of the room showing comedy shows and documentaries. But the main draw for young kids is most likely the wooden slide and 10-metre-tunnel they can crawl around in.
The ladybug design was intended to inspire a love of the environment among children and associate this with a love of learning, Mr Tan said. Any location that has ladybugs implies it is ecologically rich — something of a rarity in notoriously polluted Bangkok.
The renovated library has garnered positive responses. According to the BMA, the number of visitors jumped by 20% this month. Social media has already dubbed the building the “Ladybug Library”.
“After being informed on Facebook by my wife about the newly renovated children’s zone area in Lumpini Park, I immediately rushed over to the library. I also have a house in Klong Toey which makes it very convenient to drop by for a workout and take my kids to the library,” 40-year-old Piyabutr Lorgrailert told the Bangkok Post.
“I was very impressed when I took my two kids to the park for a day trip and we explored the library. It also suits my lifestyle, as I’m helping to raise my two children while working from home,” he said.
Paisri Trisophon, a 73-year-old retiree and regular visitor to the library, said the renovation will help to groom a generation of new readers.
“I enjoy reading books and sometimes rent some from the library. The renovation of the children’s zone is a great opportunity that will help motivate kids to go and check it out, with an emphasis on fun not pressure,” said Ms Paisri, who lives in the nearby Silom area.
“It would be great to see more Thai kids going to libraries and using them as a source of learning while also having a bit of fun.”
The vintage library won the Outstanding Architecture Award in 2008 under the category of institutions and public buildings from the Association of Siamese Architects Under the Royal Patronage ASA, according to Siriluck Thammathon, a librarian who works there.
Bangkok Public Library was built in 1955 and initially opened on June 24 the following year. In 1991 it was rebuilt with a new building added to give it a distinctive T-shape and more space.
Former BMA governor Aphirak Kosayothin formulated a policy to develop and make over all 24 public libraries in the city based on the concept “Discovery Learning Library”.
Lumpini was chosen as the first site, computers offering interactive experiences installed among other upgrades to bring it screaming into the modern age.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the Opening Ceremony of Lumpini Park Discovery Learning Library on Dec 4, 2006.
It began as a single-storey, steel-reinforced concrete structure, with a hipped roof accentuated by a middle gable on which were written in stucco the words, “Public Library of Bangkok, 2498 BE (the year it opened).”
The architecture was influenced by classic and traditional Thai styles and the total area spans 499 sq m.
The building has been preserved and repainted to create a bright and lively ambiance harmonising more with its environment. The interior has also been redecorated to be more relaxing, lively and modern-looking in a bid to enhance the learning atmosphere, officials said.
“It would be great to see more Thai kids going to libraries. LIBRARY VISITOR, PAISRI TRISOPHON