Chaoyang Future School integrates architectural re-use with pedagogical innovation. Strongly incorporating the use of color throughout the façade, landscape and interior, the project provides identity and intuitive orientation and emphasizes flexibility and interconnectedness.
Renovated facades preserve the rhythm of the original fenestrations, projecting square frames undulate in response to the spatial activities within. Washed in colors inspired by the rich deciduous and evergreen flora of the site, they sustain the liveliness of the outdoor spaces and bring them deep into the buildings. Green hues outline the public face of the campus, subtly fading yellow before warming to a deep red as they reach the campus center.
Interior spaces use corresponding colors to relay their programmatic identity. The vibrant, red Art Center is the gravitational heart of the campus; warm oranges mark the canteen and café; lively yellows gild faculty spaces and bright greens invigorate classrooms. They also differentiate the girls’ and boys’ dormitories in deeper shades of yellow and green.
The Learning Center’s interventions dissolve spatial boundaries of the existing building, producing collaborate learning spaces. Multifunctional ‘islands’ and double-height ‘bridges’ activity spaces are highlighted with color to stimulate their creative use. Fully integrated into the interior and exterior of each space, the colors reflect a school for holistic, creative, and innovative education.