lacime designs nanjing galaxy kindergarten in china as a miniature world for children

in the chinese city of nanjing, lacime architects has designed a new kindergarten as an open urban space for children to play and enjoy. located within the heart of the xuanwu district, ‘nanjing galaxy world’ is formed with a U-shaped layout. comprising of 7 ‘containers’, each one is created as a living space for the kids and provides for a variety of activities. 

all images © zhang qianxi

with a vast site area of 58,125 ft2 (5400 m2), the architect‘s goal was to create a city in miniature for the children, one which stimulated play and development. in the center of the U-shaped building lies an external courtyard. by incorporating water, activity space and a tree house, this area becomes a mini-world for imagination to thrive while also providing an outdoor space for the kids to get closer to nature.

the activity space

the kindergarten is also characterized by the children’s park that folds from ground level to the rooftop at the rear of the building. creating a green space along the street, this intervention does not confine the kids, but instead allows them to run, climb, hide and explore. positioning the park at the edge of the site also acts to create a connection between the kindergarten and the surrounding urban context.

the tree house in the courtyard

the entrance of the kindergarten faces west, and a square area is designed as the waiting zone for drop-off and pick-up.  located on the opposite side to the park, this element also acts as a buffer between the building and street, making the new architecture a unique urban interface.

the tree house provides a world in miniature

the aesthetic of the kindergarten is defined by the use of white and wood-colored elements, which are used to create a natural, modern and simple atmosphere. plenty of glazing, water and greenery are also utilized as key design features, resulting in a place that brings nature into the built environment, providing the optimum space for children to grow.

the building is comprised of seven ‘containers’

detail of the elevation

the children’s park

the folded roof provides a place for children to play

the children’s park viewed from the street

the urban façade

aerial view of the kindergarten 

project info:

project name: nanjing galaxy world / nanjing galaxy kindergarten

location: north hongshan rd, xuanwu district, nanjing, china

type: kindergarten

owner: galaxy real estate (east china)

owner team: ding yunlin, zhou chen, bai xiangfei, liu jiaqi, wang wenfeng, gao jun, tang yongqqiang, guo yi

architectural design: shanghai lacime architectral design co., ltd.

architectural team: xiong xing, lin qionghua, zhu jianlin

landscape design: shanghai lacime architectral design co., ltd.

landscape team: zhang yi, wang jing, hou jianbang, huang xuelong, wang donghao, li pengcheng, zheng bifeng, yuan jiabin, wu beili

construction drawing design: nanjing yangtze river urban architectural design co., ltd.

curtain wall design: zhejiang yasha curtain wall co., ltd.

interior design: g&a interior design (shanghai) co., ltd.

landscape decoration design: shanghai wuchen art design co., ltd.

landscape decoration design team: ni zhenyu hu siqi li mingyang yang jingbin

area: 46,568.66 ft2 (4326.37 m2)

time of completion: june 2019

photography: zhang qianxi

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom