The 123+ kindergarten is located in a newly built shopping center. It adopts Montessori method of education, which views the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment.
In this space, we try to keep everything abstract and pure, creating a new world only belonging to the kids. The main space has no vertical partition walls, instead using the landscape of the ground to divide spaces for different small groups of children. Meanwhile the space keeps open, attempting to encourage children play together and develop them physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.
The space has a lot of unique features which requires children to discovery; therefore, the space itself turns to be the learning tool: Children learn concepts from this exploration rather than by direct instruction.
Another challenge of this project is that the space is divided into halves by the public hallway in the shopping center. By unifying the language of the form, we try to link these two spaces on the opposite sides, turning this hallway to be the entrance-hall belonging to the kindergarten, not the shopping center.
All the functions are well considered. The waiting room provides shoes changing and a space where parents can wait and observe their kids taking class. The music rooms are well isolated for sound proofing. The storage is well integrated to the walls and ceilings. The location of the front desk guarantees that all the children are under supervision.
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