PAVA

Living Museum, Thai Plum Village

Location: Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Typologies: Adaptive-Reuse, Living Museum
Status: Completed
Size: 470 m²
Process Year: 2022-2024
Client: Thai Plum Village
PAVA Roles: Adaptive-Reuse Architect and Interior Architect
Collaborators:
Lighting Design Consultant: Vasapol Teravanapanth
Landscape Architect: Landprocess
Contractor: Vimutti Construction

Living Museum in Thai Plum Village, is an adaptive reuse of the old Thich Nhat Hanh’s living Hut to be a new living museum, in order to inspire people the way of peaceful and compassionate life. Thich Nhat Hanh's Hut, where Thay spends his time with the buddhist spiritual family, prior to his decision to return to Vietnam, is a significant symbol of hope, love and equality. With no hierarchy in this Buddhist community, the design proposes a warm and simple atmosphere to improve the sense of welcoming to this “spiritual home”. To listen and to understand the community are the first stepping stones to set up a holistic participatory design with Buddhist monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. Following the Plum Village philosophy of love and caring, the design conserves and respects the gentle spirit of the Sangha by humbly integrating new minimum steel and timber together with the old structure. Not only repair the local thatch roof and timber craftsmanship, but the design also subtly add universal ramps, balconies, services area for disabled people to warmly welcome accessibility to the project. The exhibition reflects the healthy environment and hope where people can mentally learn the art of living in harmony with one another and with the Earth. The process of respectfully repairing the Living Museum is the process of understanding and repairing people’ inner peace. Not only to positively lift up people's state of mind, this “spiritual home” will warmly welcome everyone to find an overlooked path of peaceful and compassionate life.