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At Shaoxing University, the Stormproof Playground is strategically placed to serve both the university and the local community. The design philosophy centers on creating spaces that are not just physically accessible but are integrated into the fabric of urban life. This project explores the symbiotic relationship between the campus, the city, and its inhabitants, fostering a shared communal space where boundaries blur between the academic and the urban.
In response to the challenge of limited urban space, the design ingeniously overlaps various sports facilities. A large football field doubles as a super-sized roofed area, creating an ‘elevated floor’ that hosts multiple sports activities.
The Stormproof Playground of Shaoxing University is located in the northwest corner of the campus, adjacent to the old streets of Shaoxing City. Breaking through the restrictions on the crowded land in the increasingly hollowed-out old downtown area and building a sports center, architects are committed to exploring a space that truly interacts and shares with the city and campus right from the start.
In order to create a scene of people involvement, architects have adopted a series of creative strategies to build a place full of vitality, creativity, and nature. The elevated platform optimizes space and serves as a new type of public arena, reminiscent of the shaded retreats found in urban landscapes, where people gather and socialize, shielded from the elements.
A key feature of the design is the lack of clear boundaries between different functional zones within the sports field. The lower level, open and exposed, serves as an all-weather communal space. It hosts basketball and volleyball courts, a 50m track, and venues for extreme sports, inviting people of all ages to engage and interact. The center of the elevated floor accommodates climate-sensitive activities like badminton and martial arts, strategically separated by walls that enhance the site’s flexibility and accessibility.
Pathways and connections are carefully planned to create a natural flow throughout the space, with ramps wrapped in white perforated aluminum to facilitate movement between areas. Rest areas, viewing seats, and interactive spaces wrapped in warm wooden materials offer cozy enclaves for spectators and participants to share experiences and support one another.
The structure’s architectural form responds to its multifunctional nature. Arches and curved beams define the building’s motif, crafting an aesthetic that is both dynamic and fluid. The use of simple materials and rustic themes allows the complex to blend seamlessly into the old city’s backdrop, providing a durable setting adaptable to the changing seasons and times.
The playground is open-end and functionally flexible, with the most dynamic, inspirational, passionate and team spirit naturally circulating within it. In fact, it has served as a vibrant and creative public space in the city, stimulating the potential of users and promoting their growth and development. People meet and communicate with each other through sports, strengthening their physical health and sharing their joy of sports.
The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd. (UAD) was established in 1953. The mission of UAD is to seek “harmonious environment, global vision, design-teaching-research integration and innovation, and the highest professionalism”. UAD adopts the development strategy of “high-grade culture, broad vision, high-efficiency management, high-caliber talents, high professional technologies and high-quality works”, with the academic theory of “Balanced Architecture” as the design guideline. During the past decades, UAD has always persisted in creating fine and innovative works, contributing a large number of outstanding works in various fields.
