The Library of Birmingham, UK
The Library of Birmingham in the West Midlands of England opened in 2013. It is considered the biggest public library in the UK. The library has over 800,000 books, more than three million photographs, and other valuable items. It is particularly noted as one of the most important collections in the world of books by and about William Shakespeare, among other extensive collections. In 2014, over two million people visited the library, designed by the architectural firm Mecanoo, based in the Netherlands. The design includes a system where cold water from underground is pumped up to help cool the air before returning to the ground. This system lowers the library’s carbon dioxide emissions. As one architectural website explained:
The Library of Birmingham is a transparent glass building. Its delicate filigree skin is inspired by the artisan tradition of this once industrial city. Elevators and escalators dynamically placed in the heart of the library forms connections between the eight circular spaces within the building. These rotundas play an important role not only in the routing through the library but also provide natural light and ventilation… Although the Library is a transparent building, it maintains energy efficiency through the buffering capacity of the building mass and the atria. Sun shading and reflective materials within the facades block the harsh rays of the sun during the height of afternoon while allowing natural daylight into the interiors. The ground floor benefits from the mass of the soil which provides buffering and insulation. The circular patio cut out of the square creates a protected outdoor space and invites daylight deep into the building. The building will incorporate a mixed mode and natural ventilation strategy. The façade will respond to external conditions and openings will allow fresh air intake and outflow. The addition of soft landscaped roof spaces will further enhance the immediate surrounding conditions.
In 2013, The Telegraph newspaper announced that the library,
the largest public building of its kind in Europe… looks for all the world like a pile of enormous, geometrically-arranged birthday presents. Gift-wrapped from the bottom up alternately in gold and black, a gold hatbox sits at the top containing the Shakespeare Archive, with everything tied with ribbons adorned with interlocking black and silver circles. It is easy to see this opulent visual play as an homage to spending in a city addicted to shopping.
Some critics of the design referred to the building as the Vuitton Library, suggesting that there might be too much bling bling in the decoration. Some of the interior has been seen as referring to such popular children’s book characters as Harry Potter and Willy Wonka. It was planned as a lively social place in addition to a quiet spot for research, and has succeeded in attracting many tourists. Last year, the Birmingham City Council announced that due to budget problems, the library’s opening hours and staff would be cut almost in half.
Thailand and the UK
As the website of the British Embassy in Bangkok announced, last month HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn chaired the opening of the exhibition Thailand-UK Science and Innovation Partnership at the Residence of the British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. Ambassador Mark Kent, British ambassador in Thailand, has been stationed in Bangkok since 2012. He has recently been appointed British ambassador in Argentina, a new post which he will take over in July. In 2013, Ambassador Kent made a speech on the occasion of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England:
I am delighted to be hosting The Queen’s Birthday Party this year as we are celebrating the start of the 5th century of Thai-UK relations…Thailand is an important partner for the UK in ASEAN and the two countries have many links: including monarchy, government, education, business, sports and tourism…Thailand and the UK have established strong trade and investment relations. The bilateral trade between the two countries was worth around 250 billion baht last year. The UK is one of the largest EU exporters to Thailand and many UK companies have a strong presence here. We have seen British companies like Tesco, Boots, Rolls-Royce, and PCS have their business rooted here in Thailand. British brands of cars and consumer goods are increasingly seen here and British companies can play a strategic part in helping Thailand’s further development in areas such as infrastructure.
The Ambassador pointed to the popularity of Thailand as a tourist destination for over 870,000 British nationals annually. Many UK citizens live in Thailand year round and over 7,000 Thai students enrol in British institutions of learning each year.
Economic connections.
In 2012, the previous UK ambassador to the Kingdom echoed these sentiments in an interview with The Big Chilli. His Excellency Asif Ahmad was Britain’s first Muslim Ambassador to Thailand, praised Thailand’s economy: It’s broad-based, ranging from farming to high technology, and in this sense, Thailand has so much going for it.
In terms of Thai-UK economic exchange, the ambassador specifically referred to the British company Tesco Lotus, the hypermarket chain in Thailand operated by Ek-Chai Distribution System Co., Ltd., now found everywhere in Thailand. Sahaviriya Steel Industries, Thailand’s largest steel producer, which bought a steel blast furnace in 2011 in northern England for about 12 billion baht. This ranked as one of the most significant foreign investments in the UK that year. Sahaviriya Steel Industries reopened the blast furnace in 2012 and that year, steel began to be shipped back to Thailand from this source. Sahaviriya Steel Industries PCL (SSI) is a multinational steel-making company based in Bangkok. It ranks as the largest steel sheet producer in Southeast Asia.
Cultural and educational exchange.
For cultural exchange, one of the essential institutions is the well-known British Council, which offers lessons in spoken and written English as well as events featuring many possibilities for international exchange. On March 21 and 22 in Bangkok, Policy Dialogue: Building Partnerships through Transnational Education will be featured. Other information sessions this month will highlight King’s College London, the London School of Economics & Political Science) Seminar, University of Reading, Worksop College, the University of East Anglia, Coventry University, and the University of Westminster. By checking the events page listings on the British Council website, all Thai students interested in international education can explore many options.
(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).