A century-old library in Bangkok’s Silom area has won a top award by the United Nation’s cultural agency.
The restoration of the Neilson Hays Library, which took place from 2016 through 2018, received an Award of Distinction at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
“The project sets a welcome benchmark for the restoration of early twentieth-century buildings of western architectural design in humid tropical environments,” the UNESCO jury said in a statement.
The Neilson Hays Library was built in 1922 by Mario Tamagno, the same Italian architect responsible for iconic structures such as Hua Lamphong, the Government House, and the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Its architectural highlights include an Italianate dome, symmetrical layout, stucco decorative motifs, columns, and teak fixtures and fittings.
Though many original…
