A mini-city for students in Wenzhou
  1. Home
  2. Architecture
  3. A mini-city for students in Wenzhou

A mini-city for students in Wenzhou

The doors open to Ge Hekai Hall, a new building on the campus of Wenzhou-Kean University, China

Moore Ruble Yudell

A mini-city for students in Wenzhou
By Editorial Staff -

Ge Hekai Hall, designed by Moore Ruble Yudell, stands in the center of the Wenzhou-Kean University campus in China. The university, located in Wenzhou, a city in Zhejiang Province, occupies an area of 173 acres (70 h), not far from Chui Tai Mountain Forest Park. Ge Hekai Hall was recently inaugurated as part of the tenth anniversary of Wenzhou-Kean University, which has been twinned with Kean University, New Jersey.

 

Ge Hekai Hall: a hub for the student community

Ge Hekai Hall provides some 172,222 square feet (16,000 m2) of floorspace, and houses the architecture, design, and IT departments. It acts as a gateway to the university, which offers the same model of interdisciplinary learning as its historic US twin. Moore Ruble Yudell’s design, which won an international competition, sits in the middle of the campus along its main axis, between an elliptical green area to the south and a stretch of water to the north.

Ge Hekai Hall at Wenzhou-Kean University - Moore Ruble Yudell © Seth Powers, courtesy of Moore Ruble Yudell

The building is formed by a combination of different volumes, with eight rectangular prisms clad in dark stone acting as a base for a large white trapezoidal element, encased in ultra-high-performance concrete. The Forum, an 800-seat auditorium, occupies the space where the different elements join the base. Inside the building are numerous classrooms, offices, a library, a cafeteria, and two exhibition areas. Outside, the southern façade is framed by a large portico, intended as a backdrop for events, such as graduation ceremonies. The elevations have ultra-high-performance concrete cladding and large windows that take in views of the nearby mountains.

 

>>> Transparency, flexibility and sustainability are the hallmarks of Echo, a complex of teaching spaces at TU Delft, designed by UNStudio. Read the preview of the article about the project, which is included in THE PLAN 140

 

The Forum: the heart of the project

The fulcrum of the building, the Forum is a large meeting place illuminated by a massive skylight that’s been designed as a kind of town square to bring all the students together, including at the symbolic level. This space is intended to host various events, from screening movies to dance performances, concerts, and conferences. Tony Xiaodong Zheng, deputy chancellor of Wenzhou-Kean University, said, “Ge Hekai Hall is not just an education building; it’s becoming the living room of the campus.” Inspired by the École de Beaux-arts in Paris, the project aims to create a miniature neighborhood, animated by its public life. The roof terraces of the lower volumes are accessible at any time of the day and night via a system of outdoor stairs and walkways.

Ge Hekai Hall at Wenzhou-Kean University - Moore Ruble Yudell © Seth Powers, courtesy of Moore Ruble Yudell

As well as rooftop gardens, there are several design measures aimed at guaranteeing both the sustainability of the project – which is aiming to achieve LEED Gold certification – and the wellbeing of users. These measures are both technological (such as a photovoltaic and rainwater recovery systems) and architectural (such as ensuring the entry of sunlight and natural ventilation to the interiors).

“The building design concept revolves around sets of dualities: China’s past and future, building techniques old and new, and a set of orthogonal lower buildings supporting an active, angular upper building,” says Christopher Chan, AIA, principal-in-charge of the project at Moore Ruble Yudell. “This set up a series of relationships that defined its iconic composition of hierarchical forms and expressions that define its iconic presence on campus.”

Ge Hekai Hall at Wenzhou-Kean University - Moore Ruble Yudell © Seth Powers, courtesy of Moore Ruble Yudell

 

>>> Discover also the new STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics – hub at Gresham’s School, Norfolk, designed by WilkinsonEyre

 

|||   SUBSCRIBE TO THE PLAN   |||   Get the greatest stories worldwide in architecture and design, the latest projects, builds, rankings and reviews, advice on videos, gallery images and interviews

Credits

Location: Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Gross Floor Area: 15.800 m2
Architect, Interior Design and Landscape: Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners

Consultants
Associate Architect and Engineer (through DD phase): Tongji Architectural Design
Architect of Record: Zhongtian Construction Architectural Design Institute
Structures: Zhongtian Construction Group
MEP: Zhongtian Construction Group
Lighting Design: Brandston Partnership Incorporated (BPI)
Quantity Surveyor: Rider Levitt Bailey

General Contractor: Zhongtian Construction Group

Photography by Seth Powers, courtesy of Moore Ruble Yudell

Keep up with the latest trends in the architecture and design world

© Maggioli SpA • THE PLAN • Via del Pratello 8 • 40122 Bologna, Italy • T +39 051 227634 • P. IVA 02066400405 • ISSN 2499-6602 • E-ISSN 2385-2054