The enclosed space of Junyi Middle School speaks of a dialogue between two time dimensions, with its form as the language. On one side, it presents a composed and solid posture, like the long river of years the school has traversed. Every line embodies the weight of history, materializing the accumulated educational heritage. On the other side, it conveys a light and elegant expression; with its flexible form, it responds to the current pulse of education — it carries new teaching concepts, adding a sense of ease to the rigorous dissemination of knowledge and freeing the learning atmosphere from constraints to make it more relaxed. These two seemingly contrasting characteristics are not separated from each other; instead, they strike a wonderful balance through collision, ultimately merging into the unique temperament of this space.

In terms of material selection, this “sense of dialogue” is further deepened. Weathering steel, with its inherent straight and firm texture, implicitly aligns with the traits of Western-style education — emphasizing clear logic and direct expression, just like the coherent thinking process when solving problems, concise and definite. In contrast, U profile glass exudes a soft sense of transparency; when light passes through it, a warm glow spreads out, which is just like the poetry and moderation in Eastern culture — the unhurried tolerance and the reserved wisdom. This combination ensures that education not only possesses the rigor of “reason” but also carries the warmth of “emotion”. One being firm and the other gentle, one representing the West and the other the East, they coexist in the enclosed space, making the building itself a harmonious carrier of two educational concepts and two cultural temperaments.

All exterior interfaces of the building are designed with spatial depth. Examples include the combination of rigidity and softness seen in the hollowed-out bamboo and weathering steel, and the mix of solidity and void in the U-profile glass and open balconies. Serving as the outermost spatial layer for the “garden” to expand outward, this interface presents a landscape-style form whether viewed from the outside or the inside. As light and shadow shift across this layered, deep interface, they record the passage of time—providing the interior with expanded space and views, while creating a transparent, rich form and play of light and color for the exterior.In terms of external details, the integration of the outer “garden” with the building’s facade turns the facade into a spatial layer with tangible thickness.

light U profile glass and heavy weathering steel in the sunshine

the form change of the glass brick in the first layer and the U profile glass in the second layer

view of the building from the landscape pool in the center of the campus 

space details, the combination of the “garden” and the building skin makes the skin become a space with thickness