Art Plus Beijing Children's Performing Arts Center | Interior | AND lab | APAC Glocal Commercial Design Consultants Group

Interior Design | Performing Art Training Centre

Art Plus Beijing Children's Performing Arts Center

2015 China Beijing

The small houses and surrealistic murals are just a small part of this children's performing arts education center in Beijing.

Designed for children aged 3 to 12, "Art Plus" in Beijing includes not only typical ballet, music, and piano rooms but also a stage performance theater and a large multipurpose hall. In addition, various-sized cottages are scattered throughout the space, allowing children to freely explore and enjoy various activities during breaks between classes.
 

We want to create an art village. We want to create a space that can unleash children's imagination.

We've overturned the traditional setup of cramming classrooms in rows. Instead, we've created a space rich in fun and exploration. We visited many similar children's education centers to understand the classroom procedures for children and the behaviors of parents.

Noise is a significant consideration, and we have contemplated various optimal soundproofing solutions. We realize that the cottage-type structures are the best method for preventing sound from propagating through vibration, as each cottage is independently separated. For adjacent classrooms, shared walls are fitted with soundproofing materials. For small theaters with higher acoustic requirements, soundproof acoustic panels are installed on the walls. All classroom windows are double-layered.

We have installed double doors with a vestibule concept at the entrance to enhance security. In terms of material selection, we also prioritize child safety. For example, we choose laminated glass instead of regular toughened glass, so even if the glass breaks, it will not shatter onto children.

Hygiene and ease of disinfection are another important consideration for spaces of this type. In order to facilitate disinfection and reduce the impact force when children fall, we chose to use Forbo's linoleum flooring, which is an environmentally friendly plant-based material that is easy to maintain and care for.

Chinese parents - like parents anywhere in the world - enjoy watching their children in action and often peek through classroom windows from outside. In this project, we deliberately used one-way mirrors as windows so that parents can observe from outside the classroom without causing any disturbance.

Hoping to further attract children through art and expand their imagination, we collaborated with Beijing surrealist illustrator Alice Lin to create a series of murals on the exterior walls of the cabin.

We don't want stereotypical cartoons that meet common expectations in this space. We hope to provide more space for imagination rather than imposing the logic constraints of adults.

Client

Art Plus Children's Art Training Corporation

业主

艺术加儿童艺术培训机构

Photographer

Jonathan Leijonhufvud

摄影师

Jonathan Leijonhufvud