ASA JOURNAL 14/2023

122
theme / review
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แบบขยาย wall section
The main hall is strategically positioned to create
a clear focal axis that enhances the presence of
the architectural structures. This central axis, which
is also the area where the service buildings, such
as the open-plan cafeteria and the library building,
are located, dividing the structures into two wings
and creating the centralized layout. A shallow pool
adds to the scenery on the slope leading up to the
main hall, making its imposing form more delicate
with the way it is mirrored on the water’s surface.
To the west, a cluster of ten lodging structures are
built around the pool, which serves as a water basin
during the rainy season and also functions as a
container for water to be used.
The design of the main hall incorporates open-plan
features and partial walls that separate the interior
space from the outside, drawing inspiration from
the vernacular elements found in religious buildings
in the northeastern and northern regions. The design
team’s research looked into the components of
“sim” or “sima”, at Pathum Kongkha Temple in Pak
Thong Chai district, Nakhon Ratchasima province.
The term ‘sim’ means a monastic boundary or main
building in temples in northeastern provinces. It is
equivalent to the Lao-rooted term “Ubosot,” used
predominantly in Thailand’s central region to refer
to a temple’s ordination hall. Nevertheless, a sim
is generally smaller in size and proportion. This is
partly due to the limited access to resources of
the temples in remote rural areas, which causes
ordination halls and decorative elements to be
smaller than or deviate from the standard even
though they are deemed acceptable.
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WALL SECTION 1 WALL SECTION 2