Watertown Kindergarten is located in Qingyan Road, Jingkai District, Wuxi City. It covers an area of 20,622 square meters, with a construction area of 26,109 square meters. It is a large kindergarten with 30 classes. With a closed courtyard layout, the space planning of one ring, two areas and four zones effectively organizes teaching, administration, office, logistics canteen, gymnasium and sports field around the circular circulation. “Loop” circulation connects the whole functional belt and enclose a childlike circle, children in this free life dynamic platform to play, observe, discover and symbiosis with nature.
The kindergarten circulation is closed in a “loop” cycle, without end and starting point. Children like to run around in this endless circular space. Here they play like a cat chasing its tail. For children, running around is an innate motivation, growing up and discovering in running. Children will move in accordance with certain patterns. If the environment they are in can adapt to these patterns without any prompt, children will start to explore spontaneously.
Parents and teachers will gradually find that children like the circular line without end. Smooth “ loop “ shape circulation can also stimulate children’s desire to run. The unsheltered visual scene that can be seen around also stimulates children with little motivation to play.
Location: wuxi, China
Client: Jiangsu Wuxi Economic Development Zone development center
Design Firm: Yuanxiuwan Architect & Associates
Principal Architect: Xiuwan Yuan
Design Team: He Zou，Chengxu Yin，Zhenyu Liu，Yonghong Wu
Structure&Material: Concrete, steel, glass, aluminum
Construction area: 26109㎡
Site area: 20622.7㎡
Design Period: 09/2020-10/2021
Construction Period: 11/2021-05/2024
Photography: Boru Dong
