Library in Ban Tha Song Yang | Rintala Eggertsson Architects

This project resulted from a workshop held at the Safen Haven Orphanage in Ban Tha Song Yang, Thailand in January 2009. TYIN Architects invited 15 Norwegian architect students from the Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NTNU) to participate in the completion of a new library for the orphanage. The concrete base of the library is cast on a bed of large rocks gathered on-site. Walls made of plastered concrete blocks cool the building during the day, while the open bamboo facade offers good ventilation. Iron and wood make up the solid frame construction and provide a comfortable floor for the children to play on. The bookshelves run along the full height of the concrete walls, and the floor is left unfurnished to give room for different activities. The entrance creates a buffer between the outdoors and indoors and also divides the ground floor into a small computer area on one side and a larger library room on the other. The new building offers the Safe Haven Orphanage a library and study area and is also a gathering space and is frequently used for play, games and crafts.