Thriving is a facade renovation of two teaching buildings and a new school gate in Taiyuan, China. Aluminum panels finished with bright paint add rhythm to the elevations and conceal outdoor equipment and cables. The gate stands 14.7 meters high and connects the two buildings of different heights, framing the view of the main campus building. Mirror stainless steel panels clad the main steel structure, while slender columns of stainless steel pipe with silver paint reduce the visual mass. The mirrored soffit makes the gate appear taller and suggests growth.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Aluminum panels finished with bright-colored paint are used for facade detailing, which enhance the rhythm of the elevation and conceal the messy equipment and cables at the same time. Besides, the gate organically connects the two buildings of different heights. This gate also becomes a view frame for the main campus building. Design adopts the imagery of 'growth', conveying the wish that students will take root and thrive in their future careers , just like seeds reaching for the sky.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Renovated Facade Area: 9581 square meters.
The New Gate: Width 22m x Depth 9.8m x Height 14.7m. - Tags
- Modest renovation, Coherence, Rhythm, Vibrant colors, Lightness, Airy, Futuristic aesthetic
- Production Technology
- Standing at 14.7 meters high, the gate was required to be majestic yet airy. To ensure the gate is visually lightweight, mirror stainless steel panels are chose to clad the main steel structure. The decorative, slender columns surrounding the main steel structure are made of stainless steel pipes finished with silver fluorocarbon paint, further dissolving the visual mass of structure. The mirrored soffit makes the gate appear taller when viewed from below, enhancing the dynamic sense of growth.
- Design Challenge
- One of the key challenges in the design process was sorting out and rearranging the layout of outdoor equipment. The design had to comprehensively consider the locations of equipment-connected interior rooms, the dimensions of different equipment, drainage routes, and cable positions, lending the building a rhythmic, orderly, and harmonious facade.
- Project Duration
- Design Period: April to June, 2025
Finished time: October 2025
Location: Taiyuan, Shanxi, China - Operation Flow
- The automatic doors are installed between the main structural columns and the decorative columns. When opened, they are well concealed within the forest of columns, and when closed, they match the decorative columns well in color. Landscaping at the foot of the slender columns, adds a touch of vitality to the otherwise slightly cold structure. As pedestrians and vehicles traverse the gateway, the experience evokes the sensation of passing through a miniature forest.
- Research
- This renovation was required to be restrained and frugal. We spent a huge amount of effort to organically unify the individual buildings and use harmonious with variations design language to create visual consistency.
- Inspiration
- This project contains a facade renovation of two teaching buildings over twenty years old and a construction of a new gate. The buildings front the street and the gate stands between them. The client expected to transform their outdated appearance into vibrant, neat and energetic style. The new school gate should be majestic and futuristic. To meet these requirements, the design revolves around bright colors and a lightweight, airy visual effect.
- Image Credits
- Image #1, #2, #3, #4, #5: Photographer Weiqi Jin, Thriving, 2025.
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