School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior PhotographySchool in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior PhotographySchool in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Interior Photography, StairsSchool in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior Photography, FacadeSchool in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - More Images+ 17

  • Partner In Charge: Zetao Chen,Jinlefu Su
  • Project Manager: Xusheng Guo
  • Design Team: Junhui Yu, Chuhui Cai, Rushuai Ma, Haifeng Wei, Xuefa Liu, Senmao Xu, Tingyu Lin
  • Construction Drawing: Guangzhou Hanhua Architects+Engineers Co.Ltd
  • International School Interior Unit: Guangzhou Dongyu interior decoration design
  • Clients: Vanke
  • City: Guangzhou Shi
  • Country: China
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School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior Photography
© Changheng Zhan

Text description provided by the architects. How to integrate education and commerce, which seem to be incompatible functions in one land efficiently?
Presently, in the development of high-density coastal cities in China, excessive development of lands for commerce and office, etc, often occurs. At the same time, a shortage of land for schools and other educational facilities occurs. We try to digest the sizes of complex projects by putting schools and training in them, encourage sharing and improve efficiency by restructuring functions, aiming to make educational spaces more open and diversified.

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior Photography
© Changheng Zhan

Location
Guangzhou Yun Shang Shu is located in IBD, Tianhe Dist., Guangzhou. Based on the judgment of the commercial market, the client thinks that a mall with simple functions is not the best answer for the development of the district, and hopes to integrate corporate diversified development strategy and to probe the way to utilize the space more diversely and more efficiently by combining education with related functions and commerce.

Research
Through a series of survey, we can comb out such a phenomenon: students walk to and from schools, training, and commercial functions. The utilization rates of major spaces of schools, training, and commercial facilities built with students as the center will not be very high. Then, by shortening the distances among the 3 functions through design or even sharing them thoroughly in one space, we will have the opportunity to create a function complex of extremely high space utilization rate. Highly integrated functions bring extremely promoted information exchange, and this may be the start of a new educational model.

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Changheng Zhan

Generation
By combing the space needs of schools, training, and commercial functions, we pile up the functional modules from bottom to top in respect of the spacial property from noisy to quiet. Then, spaces of different properties are divided into managerial zones by spacial nodes which facilitate management to assure the safety of the school in daily operation. Meanwhile, the project needs to correspond to level planning, consider the influence of metro lines, and respond to the land limitations better by slitting, conceding, lifting and other motions.

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Interior Photography, Stairs
© Changheng Zhan
School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior Photography
© Guanhong Chen

Circulation
Vertical function superposition differentiates managerial zones more easily, but the 3 functions still reserve the interfaces for inter-superposition to improve usage efficiency and promote the exchange among user groups of different functions.

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Interior Photography
© Changheng Zhan

Management
The school’s range of daily activities coils with commercial and training functions via an elaborately designed stereo corridor, they overlay but do not intersect, and the school’s boundary manages dynamic changes through a perfect interface.

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Image 22 of 22
Section

Open Floor
The open floor is a transitional platform that divides 2 functional spaces, and is the place for students’ outdoor activities and leisure. The school’s enclosed U-shape outdoor atrium space provides the possibilities of outdoor basketball and outdoor theatre. In addition, the open floor includes a 200-meter runway, students’ library, students’ dining hall, and other functions. 

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior Photography
© Changheng Zhan

Teaching Zone
The teaching zone above the open floor has the U-shape layout. Classrooms spread in the sections of good daylighting along both sides, the integrated core barrel and the service corridor of the daylighting atrium are in the center, and the turning position of the U-shape plane can further partition the school plane through access control, aiming to fit the school’s space layout of high densities in future.

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Interior Photography, Glass
© Guanhong Chen

Vision
We believe this is an exploration of land value in high-density cities, and a useful practice in response to cities’ shortage of educational lands. We hope that the integration and superposition of the 2 functions can generate a new chemical reaction.

School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Guanhong Chen

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Project location

Address:42 Yanyu Rd, Yuexiu Qu, Guangzhou Shi, Guangdong Sheng, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "School in the Sky, Guangzhou Tianhe Vanke Plaza / FCHA" 07 Jan 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/931406/school-in-the-sky-guangzhou-tianhe-vanke-plaza-fcha> ISSN 0719-8884

© Guanhong Chen

广州天河万科广场 / 坊城设计

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