Village School in China Architecture 21.06.2022 Open Architecture architects have built a school in China that resembles a small village. Ekaterina Karpukhina EmailPinterestVKonkakte EmailPinterestVKonkakte Qingpu Pinghe School occupies an entire city block with an area of 50,000 m2 and resembles a small village with more than 2,000 students aged three to fifteen instead of residents. CHEN Hao WU Qingshan In China, the concept of “megastructures” is widespread, when they try to accommodate the maximum number of rooms with different functionality in one building. But in this project, the architects of Open went from the opposite and built a separate structure for each structure. WU Qingshan The complex includes a kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, an art center and a library-theater in the form of a whale, which we have already written about in detail. In addition, there is a building with a gym and a swimming pool, as well as student dormitories. Pinghe School Library Jonathan Leijonhufvud Jonathan Leijonhufvud. This design concept is inspired by the African proverb “To raise a child, you need a village.” The architects tried to create an environment in which there are many options for interaction and games, which, in their opinion, affects the development of the child and contributes to a richer and more diverse learning experience. WU Qingshan The kindergarten is located in an autonomous building, and the schools are located in rooms scattered throughout the campus. Cubic structures differ slightly from each other: the blocks of primary classes are more rounded, and the middle ones, on the contrary, are angular. Jonathan Leijonhufvud Jonathan Leijonhufvud The art center looks like a piece of rock with smooth edges, dotted with many windows. There are two double-height atriums in the building, so natural light gets into every corner. CHEN Hao Jonathan Leijonhufvud Special attention was paid to the landscape in this project — there are open study spaces, gardens, walking paths, “wild” areas with ponds, hills and an abundance of trees. In addition, a 400-meter running track runs through the campus. WU Qingshan WU Qingshan “The landscape has a magical power,» the architects say. ”Gardens, fields, forests and ponds soften and unite various buildings into a single whole.» They also hope that children will feel welcome at this school, especially those who are experiencing difficulties in a more institutional environment. WU Qingshan Jonathan Leijonhufvud WU Qingshan Photo: archive of the press service Original content from the site