BANGKOK The majority of today’s students
are digital natives, but that doesn’t mean
they source their information solely in the
virtual sphere from the comfort of their
couch. As our research into the renaissance
of the library for Frame 127 brought forward,
younger generations actually make up a
significant part of library visitors today.
So, the fear that the emergence of e-books
and other digital media would render the
typology obsolete proved unfounded. Today’s
physical libraries are, however, adapting to
the present. They do so by becoming more
community-oriented and by strengthening
their role in modern education. Desktops are
thus complemented with 3D printers, and
literacy lessons supplemented with Google-
sponsored coding courses.
The university library, too, is
safeguarding its role on campus through the
expansion of its functions. And that’s more
than necessary if you ask Jim Favaro, the
cofounder of Johnson Favaro, an American
architecture practice with a library-rich port-
folio. He points out that ‘thanks to digitization
and electronic storage opportunities, the lion’s
share of research may no longer require the
ubiquitous presence of books where study and
research take place, but study and research
still do take place on university campuses and
they do require a location.’
How this location is taking shape
today is reflected by the Architecture Library
of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, the
work of design firm Department of Archi-
tecture. The local studio turned the massive
1,260-m^2 space into a student destination
that goes beyond books. ‘We came to think
of the library – a place of learning – in a wider
definition,’ says principal Twitee Vajrabhaya.
‘We’re facing a fast-changing future and
people need to be adaptive, creative and
always ready to learn new things The success
of education doesn’t lie in letting students
soak in knowledge that already exists, but
in giving them the tools and test grounds to
actively create new knowledge. So, our design
focused on conceiving a creative space for
architecture students to experiment, exhibit
and exchange.’
To accommodate the activities
specific to the life of architecture students,
Vajrabhaya’s team turned the library into a
‘creative incubator’, featuring a co-working
space, exhibition area, ‘casual’ lecture room
and a range of different seating spots. Carrels
arranged in a labyrinth configuration offer
students a quiet space for more concentrated
tasks. The setup of these desk areas, which
is revealed by a reflective ceiling, ‘minimizes
disturbance from the circulation around’. And
when students have to pull an all-nighter,
a mattress area on the mezzanine gives them
a chance to take a quick power nap.
Physical books and magazines do
still play an important role in the library, too.
In fact, they are accentuated through the spa-
tial design. Dedicated showcase spaces allow
for the frontal presentation of book covers,
rather than the usual compressed stacks and
rows. This gallery-inspired approach contin-
ues throughout the space. A three-dimen-
sional grid system doubles as a presentation
area. ‘It becomes an experimental ground for
architecture students to act on the space,’ says
Vajrabhaya. ‘Thus the students are not just
the users of the library’s content, but the
creators.’ FK
departmentofarchitecture.co.thPAGES 66-67 Inside the Architecture
Library of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn
University, a three-dimensional grid
system – which students can use as a
presentation surface – encapsulates
the stairways and first-floor
co-working space.OPPOSITE Carrels arranged in a
labyrinth configuration, which is
revealed by a reflective ceiling, offer
students a quiet space for more
concentrated tasks.REFORMATION To future-proof their academic offerings, universities are
redefining the role of their libraries as creative incubators. This requires a shift in focus:
from collecting and conserving knowledge to fostering its creation and cultivation. To
become such a breeding ground, the typology should traverse disciplinary boundaries
and adopt features of connective, nurturing and reflective environments such as
co-working spaces and exhibition halls.
68 Spaces