Xiangshan Campus, China Academy of Art, Phase II
Hangzhou, China · 2004-2007
Photo · Photo by Lv Hengzhong
A precedent for campus design that activates courtyards by wrapping facades in continuous, zigzagging pedestrian ramps with bamboo-screened balustrades under deep concrete eaves.
- What we like about this project
- The balustrades are woven from thin bamboo strips, adding a delicate, hand-crafted texture to the massive concrete structure.
Materials
- concrete
- stucco
- bamboo
- steel
- glass
Visual identifiers
- zigzag-ramps
- concrete-overhang
- bamboo-balustrades
- punched-windows
- courtyard-circulation
Style tags
- new-regionalism
- contemporary-chinese
- brutalist-influence
Visual tags
- campus-architecture
- external-circulation
- monolithic-roof
- vernacular-materials
- courtyard
- Geometry
- An angular, courtyard-facing building envelope defined by deep, overhanging concrete roof slabs and a series of zigzagging external ramp-corridors that scale the inner facade.
- Facade system
- White stuccoed masonry or concrete walls with deeply recessed, scattered window openings.
- Structural guess
- Reinforced concrete frame with cantilevered slab projections.
- Spatial scale
- Large-scale academic building of four to five stories, with wide ramps designed for high-volume pedestrian flow.
- Lighting
- Bright, direct daylight casting sharp shadows beneath the deep concrete roof overhangs and the projecting ramp structures.
- Atmosphere
- A balanced mix of heavy, raw concrete massing and light, organic bamboo screens under a clear sky.
- Environmental context
- An institutional campus courtyard featuring landscaped green patches, paved pathways, and young trees.
- Spatial experience
- The courtyard feels dynamically enclosed, with circulation pushed to the exterior walls via ramps, transforming the facade into an active, multi-level pedestrian pathway.
- Composition rhythm
- Irregularly scattered punched windows contrast with the continuous, rhythmic diagonal lines of the climbing ramps.
- Style reading
- New Regionalism / Contemporary Chinese Vernacular
- Program
- Academic or art school facility
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- concrete, stucco, bamboo, steel, glass
- Visual identifiers
- zigzag-ramps, concrete-overhang, bamboo-balustrades, punched-windows, courtyard-circulation
- Style tags
- new-regionalism, contemporary-chinese, brutalist-influence
- Visual tags
- campus-architecture, external-circulation, monolithic-roof, vernacular-materials, courtyard
- Geometry
- An angular, courtyard-facing building envelope defined by deep, overhanging concrete roof slabs and a series of zigzagging external ramp-corridors that scale the inner facade.
- Facade system
- White stuccoed masonry or concrete walls with deeply recessed, scattered window openings.
- Structural guess
- Reinforced concrete frame with cantilevered slab projections.
- Spatial scale
- Large-scale academic building of four to five stories, with wide ramps designed for high-volume pedestrian flow.
- Lighting
- Bright, direct daylight casting sharp shadows beneath the deep concrete roof overhangs and the projecting ramp structures.
- Atmosphere
- A balanced mix of heavy, raw concrete massing and light, organic bamboo screens under a clear sky.
- Environmental context
- An institutional campus courtyard featuring landscaped green patches, paved pathways, and young trees.
- Spatial experience
- The courtyard feels dynamically enclosed, with circulation pushed to the exterior walls via ramps, transforming the facade into an active, multi-level pedestrian pathway.
- Composition rhythm
- Irregularly scattered punched windows contrast with the continuous, rhythmic diagonal lines of the climbing ramps.
- Style reading
- New Regionalism / Contemporary Chinese Vernacular
- Program
- Academic or art school facility
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture