Located in the heart of Xuanwu District, this project benefits from its proximity to Xuanwu Lake and adjacency to two major urban roads, offering clear locational advantages.
At the outset of the design process, the goal was to create a child-friendly community within a 5,400 square meter urban space—one that allows children to experience the warmth of nature and freely explore the city environment.
▲ Form generation
The kindergarten features a U-shaped layout composed of seven staggered “containers” interconnected to form living spaces for the childlike community. These “containers” connect various themed areas and public activity zones, defining the inner and outer courtyard spaces.
Twelve classrooms create a small, city-like tribe. The design aims to provide a play space where children feel in control, interact with nature, and explore endlessly within this exclusive environment. It fosters healthy growth and uninhibited joy—an embodiment of the innocence and playfulness architects envision in children. From a child’s perspective, this space nurtures their natural love for play, serving as a special gift from BIM engineers in the urban landscape.
▲ Axonometric diagram
While the adult world is dominated by tall buildings and busy traffic, the children’s world here is defined by a tree, a white treehouse, and a shallow water feature. These buildings serve functional purposes, the treehouse carries dreams, and the small-scale forms spark imagination—perhaps even a rabbit hopping out when opened.
The inner courtyard is surrounded by an indoor corridor, maximizing glass surfaces to bring the courtyard’s scenery inside. The central building aims to create a seamless space that blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, encouraging children’s curiosity and exploration. Imagining the near future, this place will be filled with children’s laughter and joy, flowing and thriving endlessly—a true starting point and treasured memory.
Passing through the central building leads to the exclusive playground. Taking advantage of the site’s elevation relative to the road, the building’s folded roof extends into the municipal green space along the street, cleverly forming an unconventional wall. The playground encourages running, climbing, and hiding, emphasizing freedom and the natural behavior of children rather than restrictions.
The rooftop outdoor activity area extends the amusement park concept vertically. Skylights provide abundant natural light, sparking children’s curiosity and imagination in this compact “Sky City.”
The building, set in the rear space, acts as a backdrop highlighting the contrast between reality and imagination. Through its glass facade, one can see the inner courtyard’s treehouses as well as the corridors and plazas in the front, creating diverse spatial layers and experiences.
▲ Main section
The kindergarten’s entrance faces west, featuring a recessed square designed as a waiting area for pickup and drop-off. This recessed space is shared with the city, alleviating pedestrian traffic pressure on the streets and creating a buffer zone between buildings and the road. It forms a dynamic urban interface for the entire complex.
Water features and greenery serve as partitions within the kindergarten, while architecture acts as a backdrop. This space connects the city and provides a place where parents can wait and socialize, with glimpses of joyful children visible through the corridors.
▲ Main section
The project features two urban interfaces, each composed of three boxes unified by folded panel forms with playful variations in skyline and fence lines. Rather than emphasizing typical kindergarten architectural traits, the design uses predominantly white with touches of wood tones to create a simple, natural, and modern minimalist atmosphere.
The chosen material is a light gray stone-effect board, a large, lightweight, eco-friendly panel matching the modulus of doors and windows. A dynamic balcony faces south and the inner courtyard, with frosted glass adding a soft, hazy beauty under sunlight.
Design Drawings
▲ General layout plan
▲ First floor plan
▲ Second floor plan
▲ Third floor plan
▲ Elevation view
▲ Elevation view
▲ Sectional view
▲ Sectional view
▲ Node Details
Project Information
Project Name: Nanjing Xinghe WORLD (BIM Design) • Nanjing Xinghe Kindergarten
Location: North of Hongshan Branch Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing City
Type: Kindergarten
Owner: Xinghe Real Estate East China Regional Company
Owner Team: Ding Yunlin, Zhou Chen, Bai Xiangfei, Liu Jiaqi, Wang Wenfeng, Gao Jun, Tang Yongqiang, Guo Yi
Architectural Design: Shanghai Riqing Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Architectural Team: Xiong Xing, Lin Qionghua, Zhu Jianlin
Landscape Design: Shanghai Riqing Landscape Design Co., Ltd
Landscape Team: Zhang Yi, Wang Jing, Marquis Jianbang, Huang Xue, Dragon King Donghao, Li Pengcheng, Zheng Bifeng, Yuan Jiabin, Wu Beili
Architectural Construction Drawing Design: Nanjing Changjiang Urban Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Architectural Curtain Wall Design: Zhejiang Yasha Curtain Wall Co., Ltd
Interior Design: WJID
Landscape Soft Decoration Design: Shanghai Wuchen Art Design Co., Ltd
Soft Decoration Team: Ni Zhenyu, Hu Siqi, Li Mingyang, Yang Jingbin
Building Area: 4,326.37 m²
Completion Date: June 2019
Photography: Zhang Qianxi
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