VMS LIBRARY

จ.ปทุมธานี, Thailand

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VMS LIBRARY

จ.ปทุมธานี, Thailand

Firm

Architect Nonsense

Type

Educational › University Library

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2025

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$10M - 50M

In the twenty-first century, the library is no longer a shrine to silence, but a place that accommodates a diversity of activities. It opens itself to new forms of learning spaces where people can meet, converse, exchange ideas, or spend time alone in quiet reflection. The VMS Library (Professor Vimolsiddhi Horrayangkura Library) was thus conceived as a “collaborative learning space,” where users are free to share knowledge, ideas, and experiences through a spatial design that is both varied and seamlessly interconnected.

At the core of the concept lies the idea of a continuous “loop,” allowing users to move fluidly from one zone to another without interruption. From the moment of picking up a book, one can flow naturally toward reading areas, discussion corners, or meeting rooms, and then return to the starting point without ever sensing a rigid or prescribed direction. This fluid circulation transforms the library into a landscape of learning, where knowledge can emerge at any moment and in any place, rather than being confined to a silent desk.

What makes the library distinctive is the way its spatial organization gradually layers the atmosphere of use. Open discussion areas are placed at accessible points, with flexible furniture arrangements that encourage informal conversation. These zones are intentionally kept free from dense shelving, subtly signaling that low-level conversation is acceptable. As one moves deeper into the building, bookshelves gradually appear in greater density, flanked by semi-private seating that instinctively conveys a heightened sense of quiet. At the innermost zones, the shelves stand in close order, and seating is designed for focus and solitude making it clear, without the need for signage, that this is where serious study takes place.

Beyond circulation and zoning, the design extends to the very dimension of the bookshelves themselves. Because the library houses a significant collection of design-related works many of which come in diverse sizes, from large-format visual albums and substantial handbooks, to compact journals. the shelving is tailored with flexible heights, widths, and depths to accommodate these differences. This ensures that each book is stored in a way that respects its form, while allowing users easy access.

Another crucial element is the incorporation of natural light. Carefully oriented openings and building layout invite daylight into the interiors, creating a comfortable atmosphere while reducing reliance on artificial lighting. This not only conserves energy, but also reinforces the sense that the library is a living environment connected to the rhythms of the outside world.

Ultimately, the VMS Library is not merely a repository of books, but an architectural embodiment of Professor Vimolsiddhi Horrayangkura’s philosophy: “Do not cut the foot to fit the shoe.” In other words, true design does not force users to adapt to space, but instead shapes the space to respond to the needs of its users particularly the architecture students who form the heart of this library.