Thriving 立面改造、校门 by Shimu Wang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 铁奖 in 建筑与结构设计 Competition Category.

铁建筑· 2026

Thriving 立面改造、校门

by Shimu Wang

A' Design Award 铁奖 Winner in 建筑 Category

4,883

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #183058

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Thriving 立面改造、校门

“蓬勃”是位于中国太原的两栋教学楼立面改造及新建校门项目。以亮色涂装的铝板为立面赋予韵律感,并将室外设备与线缆巧妙遮蔽。校门高14.7米,连接两栋高度不一的建筑,将校园主楼的景观纳入框景之中。主体钢结构外覆镜面不锈钢板,而喷涂银色漆的纤细不锈钢管柱则削弱了视觉体量感。镜面吊顶使校门显得更为高耸,寓意成长与向上生长之势。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铁奖

Thriving 立面改造、校门是 A' Design Award 铁奖得主，这是授予满足人们对设计精良的创作所期待的专业与工业要求的优良设计的声望认可。铁奖得主展现出其创作者的高超技艺、高度专业化、专家级的理解力和创造能力。预计Thriving 立面改造、校门将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的创作，既实用又创新。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铁奖的设计整合了行业最佳实践，并拥有与专业知识和才华相结合的称职技术特性。Thriving 立面改造、校门因其严谨而受到尊重，旨在提供有助于让世界变得更美好的生活品质改善。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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.
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.
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.
Image Credits: Image #1, #2, #3, #4, #5: Photographer Weiqi Jin, Thriving, 2025.