Fengxi Primary School / MINAX Architects

There is an impassable boundary between physical buildings and free space in a high-density city. Under the principle of efficiency first, the using function often takes precedence over spatial interest and the two seem not to achieve symbiosis. The same goes for school buildings, where economic use of land is strictly regulated, resulting in the similarity of buildings. After the fundamental teaching units and auxiliary functions are laid out, space for free activities can no longer form a complete and continuous expression. The site is divided by buildings, in which the scale of the public space is in sharp contrast to the concentrated playing field. Buildings have little uniqueness and a clear narrative; thus, it’s easy to fall into a set of paradigms. On this basis, the school urgently needs new strategies to form new expressions and visions.