Kurusapa Printing House/Wat Sangwech Typing School

Plan to raze printing school site sparks row - The Nation, September 6, 2004
...The project has been unable to proceed because the Fine Arts Department listed the printing house as an historical building in 2000. The Rattanakosin Committee needs a cabinet resolution to de-list the building.
“Historical buildings should be older than 100 years, have an important historical background or meet the fine art standard,” said Adul Wichierncharoen, a member of the committee.
“But the building is only an old wooden edifice that was built in 1932. Its unpleasant appearance just improved recently when the Treasury Department, which is responsible for the plot, repainted it,” he said, adding that demolishing the building would improve the scenery around Phra Sumane Fort.
The two-storey wooden building was first used as Wat Sungwej’s printing school, Thailand’s first school of printing, before being changed into the Kurusapa printing house in 1950 and being used as a Kurusapa warehouse from 1973 to 1995.
“The building has a very significant history. It was the first printing school. It is an example of the old wooden architecture. I don’t understand why the committee cannot see that,” said Orasri Silpi, an area resident and president of Bang Lamphu Civic Net.
She said the building contained too much historical value to be demolished just for an open public park...