Gold Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2020
Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School
by Gad
- A' Design Award 2020 Gold Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Real Estate Development Co.Ltd
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 22,266
- Verification code 7712C3B7EE · Verify this award
About Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School
Nankai LiangJiang is a secondary school built in Chongqing, China. The campus is planned around a ten-minute idea, so students can move between spaces within ten minutes during a compact daily schedule. The main building is a circular structure measuring 200 meters in diameter and is made with a pre-fabricated steel structure. Classrooms, offices, a library, a science hall, a theatre and a school museum are arranged within. Perforated aluminum panels reduce glare, and a parametric steel lattice forms an undulating roof that moderates sunlight and rain.
This distinguished architectural achievement by gad exemplifies contemporary educational facility design that harmoniously integrates pedagogical function with innovative spatial choreography, positioning itself within the broader discourse of twenty-first century campus planning that prioritizes both programmatic efficiency and experiential richness. The design demonstrates exceptional compositional intelligence through its employment of the sweeping curvilinear form that simultaneously defines boundary, creates protected interior spaces, and establishes a dynamic circulation system linking diverse programmatic elements into a cohesive educational ecosystem. Technical accomplishment reveals itself in the sophisticated resolution of the elevated running track as both infrastructural element and architectural gesture, its continuous cobalt arc serving multiple functions while contributing powerful visual presence to the overall composition. The angular white roof structures introduce geometric counterpoint to the dominant curve, their intersecting diagonal patterns suggesting energy, intellectual dynamism, and the multidirectional nature of contemporary learning environments. Thematic resonance emerges through the clear dialogue between containment and openness, between geometric order and organic landscape integration, between individual building identity and collective campus coherence, perhaps inviting contemplation of education itself as a process of structured freedom within supportive boundaries. The landscape design demonstrates biophilic sensitivity through generous provision of green space, creating intimate courtyards and expansive lawns that soften architectural assertiveness while providing essential spaces for informal gathering and contemplation. References to vernacular courtyard typologies appear transformed through contemporary formal language, suggesting continuity with historical educational traditions while embracing innovative spatial strategies appropriate to contemporary pedagogical approaches. Viewers might consider how the protective embrace of the curving form creates a sense of belonging and institutional identity while the multiple pathways and interconnected spaces encourage exploration and discovery.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Chongqing Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School is centered around a highly efficient idea of a 10-minute campus, where the time for students to circulate and rotate during a compact daily curriculum can be achieved within 10 minutes. A forest is grown within the main building, forming mountains and valleys thanks to the natural topography. Efficiency and curiosity coexist.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Area: 109000.0 square meters
- Tags
- Educational Architecture, Circular, Topography, Efficiency, Innovation, Ecological, Vibrant
- Production Technology
- The main building is constructed in pre-fabricated steel structure. Its external perforated aluminum panels are to reduce the effect of glare. A network of steel lattice is designed using parametric methods, forming an undulating roof to moderate sunlight and rain. Through the constant interplay of light and shadow, the students are immersed within an ever-changing environment.
- Design Challenge
- The basis of the design moves away from the traditional and conventional homogeneous Chinese school layout, where relatively small block buildings are placed around the campus. Instead, architects boldly chose to combine them into one complex yet efficient structure. True creativity demands the courage to depart conventions, and the academic vigor to scrutinize traditions. Both the client and the architects stood together during the project, to face countless obstacles along the way.
- Project Duration
- The project started in 2016 and finished in September 2018 in Chongqing, China.
- Operation Flow
- The main building for the campus is a circular structure measured 200 meters in diameter. Classrooms and multi-functional spaces such as offices, a library, a science hall, a theatre and a school museum are arranged within. The living quarters, student dormitory, is located at the south end of the site, placed in accordance with the street and the land form.
- Research
- The design succeeded not only in arranging the numerous complex programs and spaces in a most efficient way, but also in bringing nature, i.e elements of forest, valley and agricultural fields, into the lives of the students, allowing them to be exposed to knowledge in all different spectrum. Spatial volumes in various heights, natural atmospheric environments in varying topographies, all serve to create a diverse campus, where architectural structures, sporting facilities, ecological grounds, and natural gardens intertwine.
- Inspiration
- Chongqing Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School embodies the open and well-rounded educational idea. The crucial design approach is to integrate its unique educational thinking with the site, and to maximize its spatial efficiency to bring together a pleasantly balanced campus.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Shiromio Studio
Image #2: Photographer Shiromio Studio
Image #3: Photographer gad
Image #4: Photographer Shiromio Studio
Image #5: Photographer gad - Patents
- Copyrights belong to gad, 2019.