2004 bis 2012

The campus of the new branch of the Shenyang Lu Xun Art Academy was to be embedded in the rolling hills east of Dalian, a metropolis of six million in northeast China, including a museum, studios, and parks. For the layout of the campus, a plateau was superimposed on the site’s natural topography. A chequered grid formed the basis for the inclusion of different construction volumes and their open spaces in the landscape. The relief of the hills adopts the grid pattern, although the groups of trees and paths, determining the landscape of the campus park, also create a contrast between nature and settlement. Picturesque elements, borentryed from the English landscape garden’s canon of forms, soften the chequered grid pattern. The ostensible randomness of the open space design resembles design ideals of Chinese gardens. Pockets of green isles, two vantage points, an amphitheatre and curved paths make a charming scenery and create a romantic atmosphere. Insurmountable boundary ditches, quoting an English landscape garden element called “ha-ha”, surround the campus and keep the panoramic view clear. Equally, the vegetation freely flows from the outside onto the campus.