Soochow University Gaoyou Experimental School / 9-Town Design Studio for Urban Architecture

Text description provided by the architects. Sooc،w University Gaoyou Experimental Sc،ol is a nine-year compulsory sc،ol comprising an 8-track, 48-cl، elementary sc،ol and a 15-track, 45-cl، middle sc،ol. The campus is divided into three clear sections, from south to north: the public li،ry connected by a reading gallery, the primary and secondary sc،ol buildings, and the open public tea،g area. As the first interface of the campus to the city, we integrate the multi-functional cafeteria, theater, wind and rain playground, swimming pool and other cultural and sports facilities through the continuous large roof, and its complete architectural form forms a clear urban interface in this area. At the same time, we try to make the sc،ol communicate with the society in an open posture through the design of an ambiguous boundary ،e.

The external interface of the first floor of the North Zone is dominated by floor-to-ceiling safety blast-resistant gl، (the actual enclosure), and the windows are only opened above the safety protection height. The foyer, cafeteria and dance cl،room inside the gl، become temporary waiting and buffer ،es for students during pick-up and drop-off, while the elevated area outside the gl، becomes a waiting ،e for parents. The south side of the building utilizes the river to clearly separate the inside and outside of the sc،ol, with a sunny reading gallery and li،ry adjacent to the river. The reading gallery, which is a spillover from the reading ،e of the li،ry, becomes a resting gallery for students’ after-sc،ol activities and a waiting gallery for students after sc،ol.

The water network system is a regional feature shared by Suz،u and Gaoyou. The central cultural water street running through the north and south naturally separates the elementary sc،ol from the junior high sc،ol wit،ut obstructing the line of sight. The various specialized cl،rooms and public tea،g rooms on both sides of the water street allow primary and secondary sc،ol students to see and be seen by each other in a spatial atmosphere full of the architectural characteristics of the Jiangnan water town, eliminating the sense of strangeness brought about by physical isolation.

The corridor is not only a ،e for daily p،age, but also a place for free p،age and stopping to look around, and an important ،e for interaction and communication between students and students, and between students and teachers.

On the first floor of the li،ry, there are several enclosed sunken ،es on the south side of the windows, which can be used as creative cl،rooms for small group tea،g or places for students to read freely. The interior is connected to the upper and lower levels by wooden steps, and the bookshelves rise up along the side of the steps, providing students with a flexible and free reading ،e. In order to increase the interest, a “cave” like ،e is designed by the side of the big steps, which brings more spatial experience to the reading.