ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
The building presents two distinct expressions on its east and west sides. One side is hard and unyielding, the other soft and gentle. beyond. At the same time, when driving past quickly on the expressway, the building reads as something akin to urban infrastructure— simple, unpretentious, and quietly iconic for the campus.
The east side boundary, by contrast, takes an irregular, finger-like form. These“ fingers” reach out toward the lake, engaging in a pleasant dialogue with the meandering shoreline, drawing lake views into the courtyard, while also resolving the lighting and ventilation issues caused by the narrow southern frontage of the site. The east side houses the main functional activity spaces— places for student interaction and events— with a more transparent and relaxed facade treatment, presenting a distinct expression from the solid, thick facade on the west.
Under these two distinct“ boundary” conditions, the building’ s form emerges naturally— clean, clear, and free of excessive ornamentation. The diverse functional spaces are arranged in an orderly manner along the lakeside, maximizing views of the water
and engaging in a dialogue with nature, while the north-south oriented rooms benefit from optimal lighting and ventilation. On the west side, everything is linked together by a public service side atrium— an efficient vertical circulation system that also functions as a vertical campus community for sharing and interaction. Through the insertion of activity platforms, rooftop courtyards, and the volume of the concert hall, the ground-level building interface is enriched, shaping a three-dimensional, open, and multi-layered spatial system.
The building presents two distinct expressions on its east and west sides. One side is hard and unyielding, the other soft and gentle; one side thick and solid, the other open and transparent; one solid, one void. The main exterior materials are cement fiberboard and fair-faced concrete, whose unpretentious, understated texture reflects SJTU’ s deep rational DNA and pragmatic, truth-seeking spirit. On the east side, large glass curtain walls dissolve the boundary between inside and outside, allowing the building and landscape to interpenetrate. The formal language of the slab walls reinforces openness to the lake view, resulting in a building that is both unified and distinctive.
The contrast between the west’ s“ solidity” and the east’ s“ void” is striking. The thick west facade is simple, unpretentious, yet powerfully expressive. The
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