To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Beijing Huiwen Middle School commissioned Zhuo Zhuo to design and oversee the construction of its School History Museum.
△ School History Museum, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ School History Museum, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ School History Museum, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ School History Museum, photo by © Zhou Hantao
Tasked with creating the School History Museum for Huiwen, a school with a rich 150-year legacy, we recognize that this museum is more than a collection of historical artifacts. It serves as a spiritual home for tens of thousands of alumni, encapsulating their memories within each historical exhibit. It is an inspirational classroom for current students, showcasing the achievements of previous generations. Moreover, it acts as a shared foundation for collective growth, answering fundamental questions about Huiwen’s identity, values, journey, and future direction.
Over 150 years, China has transformed dramatically, and Huiwen’s story has experienced many changes. To tell this story effectively, a clear timeline is essential. The flow of time moves forward, beginning at the entrance of the School History Museum, located alongside the Huiwen Teaching Building. In the staircase passage, visitors travel backward in time, witnessing key moments in Huiwen’s history until reaching its founding in 1871.
Entrance corridor of the School History Museum, photo by © Zhou Hantao
Visitors enter the museum through Andetang, a teaching building designed to evoke the old campus. A linear path connects various spaces of different sizes, atmospheres, and design styles, spanning historical periods from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China to the liberation, reform and opening-up, the modern era, and beyond. Each space represents a distinct era, allowing visitors to experience Huiwen’s evolution over time.
△ Floor plan of the School History Museum
Each space, linked by the flow of time, is a snapshot of a specific historical period. To effectively present stories and exhibits from each era, the design instills a strong sense of history, allowing visitors to feel immersed in a different time and place. By integrating scenes and narratives, visitors become active participants and protagonists within the exhibition.
△ Initial Overview Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ Initial Overview Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
While it is neither feasible nor necessary to recreate every historical detail in every small space, a sense of history is achieved through carefully chosen “common denominators” of memory unique to each era. These historic fragments provide immersive experiences while leaving room for reflection.
The green brick arch is a recurring motif found in old Qing Dynasty photographs. The finely crafted arches from the early 20th century continue to bear witness to the changing times at Huiwen. Concrete arches and abstract arch forms, combined with calligraphy of Huiwen’s name, symbolically frame the words “Huiwen,” embodying the essence of global culture.
△ Startup and Entrepreneurship Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
During the May Fourth Movement, Huiwen Middle School’s flag was prominently displayed in parades. The image of students standing on a high platform, delivering speeches and rallying the crowd, is so powerful it has been recreated as a dedicated exhibition space. When visitors ascend the platform, they face an imagined crowd at Tiananmen Square, experiencing the stirring call to action. Do you have the courage to speak out for your country and nation?
△ Historical photo: Huiwen Middle School during the May Fourth Movement
May Fourth Movement Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
In the Republican era, Huiwen boasted the largest sports stadium among 49 cities. Bright classrooms featured blackboards and long desks adorned with intricate cast-iron patterns. These memories live on not only in precious photographs but also in over ten editions of the annual student magazine. Such carefully curated reproductions make distant times tangible and relatable.
△ Old Classroom Scene Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ Old Classroom Scene Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ Historical photo: Old classroom at Huiwen Andetang
△ School clock scene, photo by © Zhou Hantao
The tradition of the Huiwen Hero Class began in the 1950s and continues today. A wall of carved stone bricks honors these classes named after heroes, inscribed with famous quotes that converge beneath a red gate symbolizing a new historical chapter. When a new Hero Class is formed, they add their own brick beneath the school flag.
△ Hero Class Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ Hero Class Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
Following the reform and opening-up era, Huiwen entered a period of rapid growth. The distinct visual texture of 1990s photography is featured prominently, with vibrant classroom and student activity scenes displayed across 16 televisions. This space captures the spirit of continuous social progress, technological innovation, and Huiwen’s ongoing exploration.
△ Inheritance and Innovation Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ Inheritance and Innovation Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
In the modern era, Huiwen has constructed a new teaching building equipped with cutting-edge facilities, including 3D printing classrooms, VR/AR laboratories, and artificial intelligence labs. Alongside new honors, Huiwen embarks on a fresh journey. The bright matrix-like surface lighting echoes the colors of the new building and symbolizes Huiwen’s bright future.
△ Exploration and Development Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
△ Exploration and Development Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
At the exhibition’s end, a future corridor crafted from metal and light celebrates Huiwen alumni excelling across diverse fields. A mirror at the corridor’s end reflects visitors themselves, suggesting that the future of Huiwen lies in each person reflected—through their academic achievements, professional successes, and contributions to society, they embody Huiwen’s limitless potential.
Famous Alumni Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
Famous Alumni Exhibition Area, photo by © Zhou Hantao
The Huiwen School History Museum officially opened on September 17, 2021. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the museum was not available for the 150th anniversary alumni event. We look forward to welcoming visitors to this carefully designed exhibition space in the near future, offering a unique and enriching experience.
Project Information
Project Name: History Museum of Beijing Huiwen Middle School
Project Type: Indoor/Curatorial
Location: No. 6 Peixin Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, Beijing Huiwen Middle School
Design Firm: Zhaodao Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd
Lead Architect: Wang Simin
Design Team: Lead designer Wang Simin; Designers Liang Yi, Zhao Feng, Jin Zhe, Xu Weiqing; Project management and construction team Su Ang, Shi Zhe, Xu Weiqing; Photographer Zhou Hantao; Text and image editors Wang Simin, Su Ang
Owner: Beijing Huiwen Middle School
Status: Completed
Design Period: April 20, 2018 – April 27, 2021
Construction Period: April 27, 2021 – August 20, 2021
Building Area: 600 square meters
Photographer: Zhou Hantao
Video Copyright: Jingdao Jingdao Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd
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