[ Kokaistudios ] PKU University Of Law

Architects: Kokaistudios
Location: Beijing, China
Team: Andrea Destefanis, Filippo Gabbiani, Li Wei, Fang Wei Yi, Liu Wen Wen, Yu Feng
Local Architect: BIAD
Structure: BIAD
Mechanics & Electricity: BIAD
Project Area: 10,000 sqm
Photographs: Charlie Xia

BALANCE ARCHITECTURE WITH LIGHT

A challenging project for the most prestigious University in China in the heart of its historical campus.

In 2009 a prestigious American Foundation and Beijing University invited Kokaistudios to design the building for the new faculty of law located in a prestigious location within the historical campus of China leading University. This particular site, where the pagoda symbol of the university is standing, required considerable effort in terms of design in order to find architectural answers that could satisfy and meld in a harmonious way the heritage elements; the beautiful natural environment and the new contemporary building. This prestigious project, completed in October 2010, is considered the milestone of a new era for Beijing University, and a symbol for better and more environmentally sustainable standard of living for the future University Community and for architectural buildings within that community.

This project has been conceived on a rigid volumetric shape imposed by the strict regulation protecting the historical site and at the same time by the necessity to fulfill all the functional requirements of the new faculty. The rigorous style requested to be accepted by the large number of heritage commissions have been interpretated in creative way by Kokaistudios by proposing an elegant use of few materials, concrete plasters and local stones with capabilities to transmit day light and a clever use of skylights, sinking gardens in order to increase the use of natural light and thermal efficiency of the building. Kokaistudios transformed the facades to become light filters and diffusing soft daylight light all over the interiors. The entire system of internal spaces has been designed by our team so to upgrade the standards of working, living, and studying of the future professors and students, using sustainable materials and creating aggregation facilities and spaces that could satisfy the flexible demands of the faculty in the future.

from  archdaily