Kindergarten I
Jiangxia of Wuhan is one of the many Chinese post-industrial areas. It resides in a transitional landscape, filled with the empty concrete structures. This simple structural system is the result of rapid development. Its flexible and generic nature responds to the fast growth of both building industry and market demands. It is efficient, accessible, and ready to be reused.
Kindergarten No. 1 adapts one of these concrete structures. Situated in between an industrial and suburban landscape, the new arts kindergarten is both cultural and academic. Kindergarten No. 1 has a thickened, blue wall. Rooms and programs are packed into this wall, encircling a large, open zone. Compact and private functions are consolidated into the perimeter, while creative learning happens in the open space. The wall is the boundary, separating the exterior from a world within.
Perhaps, a structure intended for a factory provides the perfect framework for Arts Kindergarten. The openness witnesses the production of arts and knowledge. The compact functional perimeter facilitates this production. The whole starts to foster a constant exchange between idea and production.
www.anoffice.co design and research collective founded in 2015 in London / Beijing
