open, colorful facade by GLA design brings life to staggered school buildings in hangzhou

GLA Design’s staggered buildings host a 36-class campus

GLA Design introduces the Hangzhou Gudun Road Primary School, a 36-class campus in a high-density urban area in the northwest Chinese city. This design features staggered, multi-functional buildings that merge with green, elevated platforms, creating a vibrant ‘urban oasis’ that redefines the relationship between learning spaces and outdoor activities.

The open facades invite exploration, providing a memorable educational environment for students and the surrounding community. In the same pattern of interlayered, staggered masses, the facade employs a distinct palette. The white coating, colorful window frames, and concave openings respond to different functions related to appearance, airflow, and movement. This gesture enhances natural light while promoting indoor air circulation, creating a lively atmosphere that enriches the campus experience.

all images by SU Shengliang, courtesy of GLA Design

Hangzhou Gudun Road School incorporates micro-topography

To contrast the surrounding homogeneous residential areas, GLA Design concentrates teaching spaces to maximize outdoor activities. The design incorporates micro-topography, including a 1.5-meter-high grass slope on the northwest side, formed from earthwork related to the underground garage. This slope elevates the main buildings of the Hangzhou Gudun Road Primary School, creating a floating effect that enhances visual connectivity between classrooms and the track and field, allowing teachers and students to observe activities from above.

The staggered building design allows various functions—classrooms, offices, walkways, corridors, cafeteria, and library—to coexist in a cohesive four-story mass. By twisting and displacing adjacent floors, the Chinese firm blurs the boundaries between these functions. A series of diverse platforms and gray spaces facilitates movement and offers flexible uses for educational and extracurricular activities, promoting a dynamic learning experience.

GLA Design introduces the Hangzhou Gudun Road Primary School

the 36-class campus is located in a high-density urban area

staggered, multi-functional buildings merge with green, elevated platforms

creating a vibrant ‘urban oasis’

GLA Design redefines the relationship between learning spaces and outdoor activities

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the design incorporates micro-topography

a floating effect that enhances visual connectivity between classrooms and the track and field

allowing teachers and students to observe activities from above

by twisting and displacing adjacent floors, the Chinese firm blurs the boundaries between these functions

project info:

name: Hangzhou Gudun Road Primary School
architect: GLA Design
location: Hangzhou, China
photographer: SU Shengliang

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edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom