VANKE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LAUNCHES IN SHANGHAI

A bilingual state-of-the-art school with staff accommodation has replaced a disused vocational college with residential towers. These
existing buildings were refurbished to provide flexible spaces that
encourage learning, and are designed to cope with future changes in the
way students work, as well as for community use.International school Shanghai

With 1,810 pupils the school is split into different zones comprising kindergarten, primary and secondary. The classrooms are
grouped into clusters that surround breakout spaces, and can change from
60 sq m to 120 sq m via acoustic folding partition walls.

Large external, social and performance spaces are shared to enhance user interaction. This includes a central courtyard which sits beneath
an adaptable canopy, giving the option to fully cover the courtyard when
it rains. Other shared facilities include an amphitheatre, sports
pitches, athletics track and vegetable plots for students to grow their
own plants. The existing college’s sports hall remained, gaining the
addition of new drama and dance studios that have the flexibility to
merge into one large assembly hall. Activities can also extend out into
the external open terraces.

BDP was architect, interior designer and masterplanner for this project which opened in September 2017.