Hasta La Ideas

Doing currently a combined work and travel trip through Asia for four weeks, I thought it would be a good opportunity to share some of my design based insights and experiences with the Core77 readers. So, in the next days I will post my “Postcards from Asia” which will be followed by a complete gallery about my “design adventures” in Asia. I started off in Bangkok where on my first day I was invited to visit TCDC, the Thailand Creative & Design Center. It was established in 2005 by the Thai government as one of the 8 divisions under the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD), the office of the Prime Minister.

“TCDC’s key focus is to create an opportunity for Thai people to access source of knowledge for their new inspirations by providing them with an opportunity to experience and learn from famous artists and designers worldwide. In cooperation with private sectors, SME entrepreneurs and designers it aims to raise public awareness of using design to add value to Thai products along with helping Thai designers gain visibility in the local and global marketplace.”

Placed in the centre of Bangkok (Sukhumvit) on the top floor of the Emporium Shopping Mall, it consists of a huge library (resource centre) with thousands of design and socio-cultural relevant books, magazines and DVDs, hosts the Material Connexion Bangkok (a material library with a particular focus on Thai materials), various show rooms with a permanent exhibition about design as well as changing ones, the Kiosk (a social hangout place combining cinema, live music and a classical cafe), a shop that sells mainly products designed by Thai designers supported by the centre as well as some international “design icons”, various lecture theaters with talks from many international design industry people, and – for those who need to feel a bit superior sometimes while doing research – a posh member’s lounge.

Click to see more pictures of the current exhibition!

(more…)