△ Project Video
The Second Kindergarten, directly affiliated with the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is nestled in an alley between Minzhu Road and Jianzheng Road in Nanning City. It is surrounded by residential buildings and a local primary school. Previously, the kindergarten operated out of several old buildings that no longer met the demands for scale and durability. After thorough analysis, the decision was made to demolish the old structures and rebuild on the same site.
The site is rectangular, stretching east to west and north to south. Its less-than-ideal orientation, combined with the need to accommodate 18 classrooms within a constrained area while ensuring adequate sunlight for the kindergarten, posed significant design challenges.
△ Overall Site Plan
Focusing on children’s daily behaviors, the design creates a rich and varied communication space indoors, encouraging children to run and play freely. Moreover, it aims to build an environmentally friendly structure that integrates with the neighborhood, providing public spaces accessible to local residents.
After extensive study of the site’s features, sunlight exposure, and ventilation, an enclosed layout was developed, tailored to local conditions. Activity rooms facing east and west meet the requirement for classroom quantity and sunlight access. To address the hot subtropical climate, horizontal sunshades, fixed sunshade grilles, and sliding sunshade louvers are installed externally.
△ Bird’s-Eye View Rendering
Perspective Rendering of the Southeast Entrance
The kindergarten’s main entrance was originally planned for the east side but was ultimately relocated to the west. This change fosters connection and dialogue with the adjacent primary school to the west and places the main entrance closer to the bustling Democracy Road. The east entrance now serves as a secondary access point, with logistics and delivery access located at the alley’s east end.
To minimize pedestrian impact on alley traffic, the main entrance is set back from the property line, creating a small plaza where parents can drop off, pick up, and wait. Overhead, a large rooftop platform provides shelter from wind and rain for this waiting area.
Partial Perspective Rendering of the Main Entrance
△ Partial Bird’s-Eye View Rendering of the Inner Courtyard
Passing through the open main entrance leads to a two-story hall with a view of the interior courtyard, offering excellent visibility and airflow. Three conical skylights in the hall ceiling diffuse soft natural light, creating an inviting space for gatherings and performances. Adjacent to the hall, the teachers’ dining room connects directly to the courtyard, serving as a daily communication area for teachers and parents.
△ Main Entrance on the West Facade
△ Inner Courtyard and East Unit
△ Inner Courtyard Ramp
Partial Ramp in the Inner Courtyard
The conical skylight in the hall (photo by Tong Qinghua)
To encourage interaction and dialogue among children, every two classroom units are interconnected, sharing a small entrance space. Adjacent bathrooms with connected paths allow children across different classes and ages to enter each other’s activity spaces, fostering communication and growth.
The outer corridor of the east unit features a colorful box-shaped space where children can gather and socialize. Sliding blinds on the box’s exterior provide shade while casting lively patterns of light and shadow on the facade and corridors.
Partial East Facade
△ East Facade
△ East Facade
Partial East Facade
Partial East Facade
The outer corridor at the southwest corner of the courtyard
The corridor on the south side of the courtyard
To provide children with ample space for running and crossing, two intersecting steel structure overpasses span the inner courtyard. Alongside the ramp, they create dynamic spatial variations. When sunlight filters through, the overpasses cast vibrant light and shadow patterns on the walls and ground.
△ Inner Courtyard: Ramps and Overpasses
△ Roof Overpass
Partial Overpass
Due to space constraints, the rooftop platform has been fully utilized to increase activity areas. The roof above the hall is designed as a terrace for children’s play, featuring three trapezoidal skylights that resemble sculptures, adding an element of fun. The terrace’s side walls are adorned with square windows of various sizes that can be arranged freely, introducing vibrant visual interest both inside and outside.
△ Three-Story Roof Terrace Aerial View
△ Three-Story Roof Terrace
Geometric Skylight as a Three-Tiered Terrace Sculpture
Partial Exterior Wall of the Third Floor Roof Terrace
Geometric Skylight as a Three-Tiered Terrace Sculpture
Children Playing on the Third Floor Rooftop Terrace
Partial Terrace on the Third Floor Roof
The west unit’s roof serves as an outdoor sports field, offering children a space for running and play. The interlocking organic glass covering the sports field also extends down the building facade, creating dynamic light and shadow effects while filtering intense sunlight.
△ Roof Runway, Sun Panel, and Pedestrian Bridge
△ Roof Sports Field
△ Roof Sports Field
△ Roof Sunlight Panel
Partial Southeast Facade
Partial Southeast Facade
△ Southern Outer Corridor
The northwest multifunctional room’s roof is designed as an outdoor space for performances, gatherings, and play. It is available to each class and local residents for community activities. The eastern unit’s roof primarily serves as a green planted area, with a vegetable garden and grassy field suitable for soccer and other games.
The architecture embodies a concise, bright, modern style infused with subtropical characteristics, shaping a distinct identity for the kindergarten. It balances unique personality with practical functionality. The site boundary features a white aluminum alloy grille fence that promotes airflow while creating a clean, cohesive interface. Bamboo planted inside the site grows through the grille openings, casting vibrant patterns of light and shadow.
Partial Western Facade
Partial Western Facade
Partial Western Facade
Partial Western Facade
Northwest Facade
Partial Western Facade
Partial Western Facade
Aluminum Alloy Fence and Bamboo on the West Facade
This building strives to create a pure atmosphere and establish a new order amidst the surrounding urban chaos. The freely arranged square windows on the white walls, fixed sunshade louvers along the outer corridor, vibrant colors, intersecting pedestrian bridges, and diverse activity spaces inside all contribute to a unique spatial experience within this alley-hidden kindergarten.
△ Aerial View of the Kindergarten (Photo by Huang Bo)
△ Night Perspective View
Models and Drawings
△ Model
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Third Floor Plan
△ Fourth Floor Plan
△ Roof Plan
△ East-West Elevation
△ South Elevation View
△ North Elevation View
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Node Diagram
△ Node Diagram
△ Skylight Node
Project Information
Project Name: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Directly Affiliated Second Kindergarten
Project Address: No. 30 Jianzheng Road, Nanning City, Guangxi, China
Building Area: 8,770.06 square meters
Designer: Guangxi Zhongsheng Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Company Website: http://www.gxzsjzsj.com/
Contact Email: [email protected]
Design Period: 2016–2017
Completion Year: 2019
Project Manager: Xie Jianhua
Principal Architects: Xie Jianhua, Wu Shengfei, Ma Hanning, Liang Yixin
Architectural Design: Xie Jianhua, Wu Shengfei, Ma Hanning
Structural Design: Chen Chaogao, Gong Haiou, Ma Kai
Water Supply and Drainage Design: Ou Shengchu, Jiang Ying, Gan Mintong, Tang Daoming
Electrical Design: Li Hongwei, Lu Xianzhe, Jing Xinhui, Zhong Huan
HVAC Design: Deng Duanmin, Feng Xianming, Qin Jianshu
Landscape Design: Zhou Zicui, Wang Xiaoguang, Li Wenwen, Lu Feiying, Xie Qiwei, Sun Zhou
Client: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Directly Affiliated Second Kindergarten
Photography Credits: Huang Rongchuan, An Old Flying Team, Huang Bo, Xie Jianhua
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