{"id":192992,"date":"2022-02-01T18:13:15","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T23:13:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=192992"},"modified":"2022-11-17T16:30:34","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T21:30:34","slug":"open-architecture-creates-a-bibliotheater-reminiscent-of-a-blue-whale-for-the-qingpu-pinghe-international-school-in-shanghai","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/open-architecture-creates-a-bibliotheater-reminiscent-of-a-blue-whale-for-the-qingpu-pinghe-international-school-in-shanghai\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Architecture Creates a Bibliotheater Reminiscent of a Blue Whale for the Qingpu Pinghe International School in Shanghai"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Bibliotheater<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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February 1, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Jesse Dorris<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Open Architecture Creates a Bibliotheater Reminiscent of a Blue Whale for the Qingpu Pinghe International School in Shanghai<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When the Qingpu Pinghe International School approached founding partners Hu Li and Wenjing Huang<\/a> to conceive a new campus for 2,000 students aged 3 to 18 years, the architects decided not to follow the city\u2019s \u201cschool-as-megastructure\u201d trend. Rather they envisioned a village of smaller buildings through which the pupils move as their studies progress. At the heart of the compound is the 58,000-square-foot bibliotheater\u2014a combined library, proscenium theater, and black-box performance space\u2014known affectionately as \u201cthe blue whale\u201d for its distinctive shape and color. The theater and black box occupy the ground floor, while the two upper levels house the library and reading areas. The latter include a dramatic central area where a protruding oculus presides over a circle of bleachers around which low bookcases radiate like the spokes of a wheel. More bookshelves line the walls, which are punctuated with a series of portholes, a recurring motif throughout the building: \u201cTheir round shape came naturally,\u201d Li notes, \u201clike light beams, uniform yet dancing around.\u201d Born of the architects\u2019 belief that reading and performing are critical components of early education, the unusual library-theater hybrid has proved prescient: \u201cIt\u2019s now,\u201d Huang reports, \u201can important part of a student\u2019s campus life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pinghe
Pinghe Bibliotheater, Shanghai, by Open Architecture. Photography by Qingshan Wu. \n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pinghe
Pinghe Bibliotheater, Shanghai, by Open Architecture. Photography by Jonathan Leijonhufvud. \n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pinghe
Pinghe Bibliotheater, Shanghai, by Open Architecture. Photography by Jonathan Leijonhufvud. \n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
project team<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Open Architecture<\/span><\/a>: hu li; wenjing huang; qing ye; bingjie shi; ling yang; qingjun tan; di lu; daijiro nakayama; bihong lin; xiuyuan chen; tingting zhou; xiaowei zou; xunfeng liu; lingna li.<\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n