Text description provided by the architects. Located in the cultural center of Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, the project is one of the core buildings of the regional science education area, forming a cluster of urban public activity places with the sports center, library, and other public buildings. It covers a total area of 28,000 square meters, with a floor area of 29,000 square meters. There are five floors above the ground and one floor underground, with a total height of 27 meters. The project consists of a main teaching building and a 450-seat theater, which are connected by an air corridor， and has effectively enhanced the vitality of urban public space for the regional urban environment and has become a landmark of urban public culture in Huangpu District, Guangzhou.
By conforming to the topography, the project designer connected the two groups of buildings with a streamlined bridge, forming a continuous citizen’s corridor and urban interface. Children’s Palace was arranged on the west side and the theater on the east side of the site, which achieved iconicity and uniformity in the city display interface. In terms of functions, it integrates multiple functions such as young pioneers’ activities, children’s education display, science experience, science and aesthetic education, and sports fields, providing diverse learning and activity places for children.
Under the regular and rigorous plan, the outer contour of the building is free and lively. The free cloud-shaped space combined with the colorful horizontal louvers shows uncertainty and flexibility and softens the external façade with the shape of colorful petals, creating a curved flowing shape. Infinite kinds of facades are displayed from different perspectives, and every glance is full of new ideas.
Making building “Fun”, it adopts a free and lively “Rainbow Cloud” shape and applies children’s game elements such as tangram, magic ruler, Rubik’s cube, jumping plane, gyroscope, ball maze, rainbow circle into the interior and landscape, that the wall, floor, ceiling and any other corner in the building could become friends of children.
With the theme of “to let childhood dreams fly”, the main garden of the Children’s Palace gives children a place to explore the enjoyment of a life refreshed in nature. The enjoyable large-scale balloon wall and the interspersed mini-platforms on different heights around the courtyard become marvelous universes in the eyes of children.
Under the premise of high quality, designers adhere to the original design intention of economy, applicability, and aesthetics to reduce costs. Unilateral cost is 25% lower than similar projects in China. The sailing light shed and rainbow railing design won China’s innovation utility model patent.
The design process is a respect and response to the public space of the Lingnan region. It provides interesting and comfortable learning and activity spaces for teenagers in the community and spreads the design concept that encourages creativity and stimulates the imagination of teenagers, which embodies a realistic and pragmatic cultural deposit and spiritual pursuit of Lingnan architectural design.
