The Neilson Hays Library is a privately funded English-language library in Bangkok, Thailand. It occupies a historic building on Surawong Road in Bangkok's Bang Rak District, designed in neoclassical style by Italian architects Mario Tamagno and Giovanni Ferrero. The library traces its origins to the Bangkok Ladies' Library Association, which was established in 1869, but did not have a permanent location until the current building was commissioned in 1921 by resident American doctor T. Heyward Hays in memory of his late wife, Jennie Neilson Hays, who had been an active member of the library board. The building, completed in 1922, features a symmetrical plan, with a domed rotunda originally serving as the entrance hall (now a gallery), and an H-shaped reading room.[1] The building received the ASA Architectural Conservation Award in 1982, and was registered as an ancient monument in 2001.[2] It underwent major restoration work from 2016 to 2018.[3] The library is wheel chair friendly.
The Neilson Hays library was named after Jennie Neilson Hays, a Danish-American missionary who came to Bangkok in the late 19th century. She was married to a medical doctor, Thomas Hayward Hays, who was also a missionary. Jennie joined the Bangkok Library Association in 1895 and was president of the association three times in 25 years, before her death in 1920.
After her death, Dr Thomas Hays commissioned Mario Tamagno, an architect from Turin, Italy, to design this library. Tamagno came to the country to work under the Siamese government. At the time, he was dubbed Siam’s “chief architect.” Dubbed “a grand palace on a small scale” by the Bangkok Times, the library is one of the last buildings that Tamagno designed in Siam and believed to be the only library that he worked on. Other larger buildings that he designed include the Ananta Samakhon Throne Halls, Phayathai Palace and the Hua Lamphong Railway Station.
The neoclassical style of the library is evident from the columns and stucco decorative motifs all around the library. The dome-shaped ceiling allows light to fill the space, while the arch doors and windows enable cross-ventilation. Air conditioning was only installed in 1999.
The library has 30 built-in bookcases. Together, its built-in bookcases and free-standing cases hold 22,000 books.
Ventilation lattices on the top and bottom shelves of the built-in book cases facilitate airflow and allow the books to breathe. To ensure proper ventilation and minimize humidity in the building, Tamagno erected two walls for the library. The inner walls comprise the back of the built-in bookshelves, which run all around the interior of the building.
The outer walls, made of bricks, are about half a meter away from the bookshelves. They contain windows and low openings to further allow the building to breathe.
Awards
The Neilson Hays library won the ASA Architectural Conservation Award from the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage or ASA in 1982.[1] It also was conferred ancient monument status by the Department of Fine Arts in 2001.[2] In 2022, it received the UNESCO award for Cultural Conservation.[citation needed]
The library hosts educational events such as lectures, musical shows, book launches, etc. It also hosts its annual book sales, weekly children's story time and the Bangkok Literature Festival.
