Birthplace of big ideas

THE THAILAND Creative and Design Centre (TCDC) might not be as BTS-convenient at its new digs in the Grand Postal Building on Bangkok’s Charoenkrung Road, but it’s determined to liven things up in old Bang Rak district.
Having just moved from the Emporium, its home for 11 years, the centre reopened on Friday with twice the space – 8,600 square metres across five floors. It has a library, exhibition area, materials and innovation centre, creative business centre, “maker space” and a “co-working space”.

The TCDC has moved its extensive library of books, magazines and other media on art and design to the new location on Bangkok’s Charoenkrung Road.

Managing director Apisit Laistrooglai says the goals have not changed.
“Our aim is to promote a knowledge-based society by cultivating creative ideas among youth and sparking creative and practical business models among entrepreneurs,” he says. 
“We have to add value to people and products by matching modern trends to international standards to compete overseas.”

The new locale has as its concept “Redefining the District”, meaning Bang Rak – one of the city’s original neighbourhoods.
“Another significant mission is to develop a concrete example of a creative district by making the surrounding area a centre of arts and creativity. The TCDC aims to push Bangkok to become the World Design Capital in 2022,” Apisit says.
Historic Charoenkrung Road is lined with retro bars and chic galleries as well as old shophouses and other venerable buildings. King Rama IV had the thoroughfare built in 1861, parallel with the Chao Phraya River. It’s regarded as Bangkok’s first “proper road” and had its own tramway.

The TCDC, long an attraction at the Emporium, is now housed in the historic Grand Postal Building.

The European-style neo-classical Grand Postal Building was built in 1935 and designated an historical site in 2004. Not far away on Soi 40 are the Roman Catholic Assumption Cathedral dating to the early 1900s and Wat Suan Phlu on Soi 42/1, where a statue of Guanyin, goddess of mercy, resides. Posh local galleries include the Serindia and the Atta.
Twitee Vajarabhaya of the private firm DOA (Department of Architecture) says its interior design for the TCDC was geared to networking. 
“It had to be flexible to serve different functions, and it’s minimalist to show off the old building’s beautiful architecture. We inserted white steel structures with both clear and opaque acrylic sheets, like placing a modern box inside a vintage box, so the two designs can co-exist.”

A gift shop

The lobby has a gift shop and a gallery for temporary exhibitions, beginning with “Creativity Onwards”, continuing into September – an array of clever Thai notions that are expected to become lifestyle trends. 
The commercial brands that have taken up residence at the TCDC reflect the current popular preference for personalised items and anything digital and innovative. Shoppers are no longer obsessed with particular brands and patronise shops and services that can meet their individual needs. 

The TCDC gallery’s debut exhibition is titled “Creativity Onwards”, a look at clever Thai notions expected to become lifestyle trends.

One example is local brand Selvedgework letting customers design their own denim jeans. It has more than 30 choices of denim available, from Japan, Italy and the US. Clients specify the material and cutting style they want – and the thread colour, button shanks, rivets, leather patches, logo tags, pocket lining and even the font used in their laser-etched initials. 

Thinkk Studio's Lanna Factory machine

At Thinkk Studio you can learn how to make a yarn lampshade on an all-wood Lanna Factory weaving machine that uses no electricity. Five spindles hold different-coloured threads that are coated with glue and wrapped around a foam lampshade mould as it spins. You pick the shade shape and control the direction of the weave and the colours woven in. The possibilities are almost infinite.
If you need some new sneakers or flip-flops, you can have Kraftka footwear custom-made based on your own design, using royalty-free graphics, drawings or photos. You upload that to a website, get a preview of what the shoes will look like, and agree to have them delivered to your door.

The Material & Design Innovation Centre is the place to go for innovative materials and a database of suppliers. 

The TCDC also has the Material & Design Innovation Centre, formerly known as Material ConneXion Bangkok. It’s a branch of a New York materials library that also has outlets in Milan, Italy, and Cologne, Germany. Here you can see innovative materials available around the world and consult a database of suppliers. The focus is on Thai and other Southeast Asian materials and assorted intriguing products.

Thai suppliers can fit you out with Metiles made of wood handsomely fused inside metal.

Metiles from Inno Composite Co, for example, is a tiling material with wood fused in metal, so it has the natural grain of wood plus the sheen of metal. It looks great when used in interior pieces like furniture and is appealing when incorporated into souvenirs. 
Combining wood and molten aluminium sounds like a fire hazard, but the patent-pending casting process prevents burning as it creates different shapes under high pressure. You can get Metiles with teak, parawood, bamboo and acacia nestled into the matrix of aluminium.
At Shannta, which also has a shop at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, they’ll prove you don’t need to be a silversmith to make one-of-a-kind silver jewellery. And it’s easy and fun. 
They use a “nano silver clay” not unlike the doughy clay kids play with – molecules of pure silver mixed with water and non-toxic binders. You mould it by hand into the desired shape and fire it in a small kiln to remove the binders and fuse the metal powder into solid, 99.99-per-cent silver.

Thai start-up Enlicium is already installing its “smart home” automation system in residential areas.

At the TCDC soft opening, the Material & Design Innovation Centre had start-up firm Enlicium displaying its remarkable “smart home” automation system. It lets you use your phone to control the TV, air-conditioner, lighting, curtains, door and window locks and surveillance cameras, or you can just bark out a command (English only for now – Thai coming soon). 
“We also have a sensor to detect smoke to reduce fire risk and to monitor carbon-monoxide levels if there’s a health issue,” said Enlicium co-founder Piyapoj Kasempakdeepong. “The sensor will send a notification to your mobile app and trigger an alarm.
“Another smart sensor detects water leaks to guard against home flooding and the possible risk of electrocution. We’re currently installing these sensors at a Sansiri residential project.”

The Maker Space rents out 3D printers, laser-cutting equipment, embroidering and weaving machines and woodworking tools.

The Maker Space on the third floor – a collaborative effort with creativity-friendly FabCafe Bangkok on Soi Ari – hosts an open platform where folks can share and develop their ideas. You can rent 3D printers, laser-cutting equipment, embroidering and weaving machines and woodworking tools.
“With digital fabrication tools, anyone can bring their ideas to life and make anything from parts and accessories to architectural models,” says Kalaya Kovidvisith, a co-founder of the Bangkok outlet. 
“FabCafe is a creative network that originated in Tokyo’s Shibuya district in 2012. There are nine of them around the world now, Bangkok’s being the fifth to open.”

The rooftop garden is terrific for relaxing and brainstorming.

The library on the fourth floor has an extensive collection of books, magazines and other media on art and design. The creative business centre is on the fifth floor, with meeting rooms, its own library, a cafe and an area just for relaxing. You can conceive your next brainstorm over a game of foosball or while banging on a drum kit – or just loaf in the rooftop garden. 

GET THOSE JUICES FLOWING
A slew of activities is being held today starting at 4pm. A free-admission Creative Market offers interesting products and workshops, film screenings and live performances of jazz and soul. 

The entrance fee will be waived all this month. 
Membership in the TCDC costs Bt1,200 per year (half that for students, seniors and government officials), or you can get a one-day pass for Bt100. Ask about group and corporate rates.
The TCDC at the Grand Postal Building on Charoenkrung Road is open daily except Monday from 10.30am to 9pm. 
Call (02) 105 7441 or visit www.TCDC.or.th.