Fengxian District Jinhai Primary School

This primary school sits on a tight land parcel in the recently developed urban area in Nanqiao satellite town of Fengxian District in Shanghai. It follows very strict zoning requirements and school program brief to provide a new home for 1,600 primary school students in 6 grades, along with 120 teachers and workers. All are happening on a 27,700 square meter site with a total of 21,800 square meters above ground building volume.
The school program is divided into two groups. Classrooms, teachers’ offices, and labs are organized in four levels around two courtyard gardens, forming the quiet part of campus. On the opposite side lies the sports fields, the gymnasium, and the canteen, making a more active part.
The two parts of campus are separated by a tree lined central corridor from the main entrance on the south to ensure noise separation. However, they are also well connected and weaved together via elevated walkways and platforms. So students and teachers can move through smoothly during class shifts.
Such a circulation system, independent from the egress stairs and routes, effectively defines the campus spatial structure as it extends from ground level to the roof level. It played a critical role in the form generating process. As a result, the campus complex appears more solid as a whole on the external sides, but more fragmented, penetrated, and interlocked along the internal pathways and stairs.
The campus complex is cladded from outside mostly by corrugated metal panels, solid steel ones and perforated aluminum ones. On the inner sides, composite wood panels of a warm tone wrap up the surfaces of more frequent daily use. Such a material selection gives the school an overall shiny and futuristic look while keeps the essential interfaces for the students and teachers soft and approachable.