Pan Gongkai Architectural Art Studio: Winner of World Design Awards 2024. The Teaching Building of Pan Tianshou College of Architecture, Art and Design at Ningbo University is located on the east side of the university’s west zone and serves as a key connector between the east and west campuses. With a total construction area of approximately 45,000 square meters, the facility comprises three main structures: the teaching building, the laboratory building, and a multifunctional exhibition hall, along with comprehensive amenities such as a library and lecture hall. It can accommodate about 1,200 art and design students pursuing their education. The building has three defining characteristics:

1. Orderly and Continuous Urban Interface

Spanning over 300 meters, the building’s volume faces southward to the Yongjiang River. This winding, cohesive megastructure serves as both the visual endpoint of the high-tech zone’s axis along the river’s south bank and as an architectural anchor that introduces order into the north bank’s fragmented, dense, and varied urban fabrics. The building ultimately stands amidst the chaotic cityscape, presenting a simple, integrated, and visually striking interface.

• Horizontal Lines and “Bubbles”

As a campus building, the facade features white horizontal lines along extended windows, blending with the massive structure to harmonize with both the campus and the surrounding urban environment. This facade language creates a cohesive relationship within the campus.

While maintaining a unified exterior, a series of irregular, cell-like “bubbles” are incorporated into the orderly horizontal lines. These bubble elements, scattered in flexible and varied forms, break the regular layout of traditional academic buildings. This innovation represents a departure from rigid structures, embodying a dynamic and inspiring educational environment.

• Flowing and Dynamic Interior Space

The “bubbles” are not merely exterior design elements; they embody an innovative response to contemporary higher education reform. These bubbles penetrate the building’s interior, forming irregular spaces between 6 to 10 meters high, open to natural surroundings and river views. These versatile spaces support various scenarios, including small exhibitions, tiered classrooms, project critiques, and discussions. The multi-functional integration of formal and informal teaching spaces fosters a shared, communicative environment, creating an ideal artistic atmosphere that stimulates the imagination and creativity of art and design students.

Project Details:-
Firm
Pan Gongkai Architectural Art Studio

Architect
Pan Gongkai

Project Name
Pan Tianshou College of Architecture, Art and Design, Ningbo University

Project Category
Educational Design

Team
Pan Gongkai Architectural Art Studio

Project Location
Ningbo, Zhejiang Province

Country
China

Photography ©Credit
Jin Weiqi

Mr. Pan Gongkai, a renowned artist and former president of both the China Academy of Art and the Central Academy of Fine Arts, officially retired in 2014. After stepping down from all public roles, he founded Pan Gongkai Architectural Art Studio to undertake cultural architecture projects. Since then, he has dedicated himself fully to architectural design. Drawing on his extensive experience steering campus construction as a college administrator and his deep passion for architectural design, he has committed himself to  both urban and individual building design practices. Over the years, he has completed numerous large-scale single-building projects, which have been highly recognized by clients for their originality, functionality, and artistry.

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