Primary School in Hangzhou
- Heide Wessely
Hangzhou can look back on a long history. First documentary mention of the city was made in 221 BC, and since the opening of China in the 1990s, it has witnessed rapid growth. Today, Hangzhou has a population of 9.2 million people, and the various urban districts are dominated by densely laid out tower housing blocks. This is the case in the immediate vicinity of the new primary school, which is also situated on a busy road. The aim of the architects was to create a verdant oasis in the midst of this cityscape - a spacious campus with playing and sporting facilities. With the excavated material, they formed a varied topography, including a broad planted ramp along one side of the gymnasium, on which there is a platform affording a view over the sports ground. The park-like open areas are laid out on different levels and intersect with the individual wings of the school complex. The latter are raised above the ground in part, and the open areas, with their staircases, ramps and heterogeneous pavings, flow beneath the buildings. Use of these sheltered external realms for lessons is popular with teachers and pupils alike. In the subtropical climate, with its hot, humid summers and heavy rainfall, these open-air classrooms are very welcome.
