The volume of the new building is framed by the three faces of the existing courtyard. The new façades are covered with punched steel plates to dissolve the sense of constriction and obfuscate the distance.
Project Name: New Building for the School of Architecture
Studio Name: Li Xiaodong Atelier
Area: 3500m2
Completed year: 2014
Lead architect: Li Xiaodong
Location: Beijing, China
Photo: Li Xiaodong Atelier
In order to further increase the lightness and release the pressure on the ground, this stilt building is sunken half-floor below the ground, and the underground floor is closed by glass, with 2 meters recession in the eastern and western faces.
The façades are evenly divided by 3 x 3 grids, and further divided by panels. This homogeneity contrasts with the existing chaotic environment. The new building does not formally correspond to the old façade, but treats the new façade as a gauze-like filter.
Viewing from inside, the old façades are blurred by the filter, which weaken the new-old conflicts. Interior space conforms to the logic of the façade. The atrium at the center of the cube facilitates the ventilation and improves the lighting.
