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In contrast to the traditional institutional image of educational facilities, the Western International School of Shanghai campus is bordered by rivers on two sides in a spacious, rural setting.

 

In the second phase of its construction to be started next month, Andreas Reich, chief architect of Weimar Architects AG, has covered the 6.4-hectare area with not only multifunctional school facilities but also exquisite plazas, dainty Chinese gardens and natural landscapes along the lake traversing the campus.

 

"It's just like a small town for children," Reich said while showcasing the school's master plan.

 

In his design for the Qingpu District institution, the 42-year-old German, who has been an architect for about 16 years, said he wanted to inspire social interaction, life and energy.

 

"Our idea was not to build one big building like those sterile, boring office towers we often see downtown and not a building solo on the landscape but a whole environment."

 

In the new construction, natural daylight will stream through the floor-to-ceiling windows with simple, clean lines, creating a modern airy feel; the school is in a quiet place in perfect harmony with the surrounding picturesque suburban scenery, secure from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

 

"What we wanted to achieve is that children in future will remember this place after they grow up and leave the school 12 years later," the architect said.

 

As a father of three, Reich knows well what kind of architecture a child needs most.

 

"Because it's for children, the buildings are not high. We wanted to have a natural appearance and the whole atmosphere for them is soft, mild and warm, not concrete or strong."

 

As displayed in the school's blueprint, the second phase of the construction that is to be completed in time for the start of the September 2007 school year, consists of the middle and high school buildings and a cafeteria situated between the central plaza and inner lake. There is also a library and the science laboratory building with rooftop greenhouse and a theater that opens into a courtyard for outdoor performances.

 

It includes 34 classrooms (each 94 square meters), multipurpose rooms of 120 square meters, two-dimension and three-dimension art rooms, a music room with adjoining practice rooms and a black box theater/performance space.

 

Attached to the middle and high school buildings will be a 488-seat theater and a science laboratory building with six state-of-the-art labs. The three gyms with swimming pool, situated next to the street, will be open to both school children and the public later in the school year.

 

Reich believes that one structure builds on the other, and the space between them becomes another design.

 

"What we want to achieve is not only to build a multifunctional facility that serves the educational needs of students at every level, but also to create a green campus," he said.

 

"When children look out of the window they will see a lot of green."

 

Green is perhaps the main theme of the school design. Large patches of grassland are common when touring the park-like campus; even some of the buildings, such as the gymnasium and the swimming pool, are all designed to be covered by grassy sloped roofs.

 

"Each time (I do a design) I have to think about who I'm doing the project for," said the German architecture enthusiast.

 

"It's really rewarding when seeing how our dreams or ideas become reality and how people become glad and satisfied with what we have designed."

 

While based in Weimar, a German city famous for its architecture as the home of the Bauhaus School, Reich knows a lot about Shanghai and China after having worked here for almost four years on and off.

 

His team was invited to take part in the design work for the Anting German Town project in Jiading District in 2003 and will soon embark on another design for an international school in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

 

"Each project I've done has its own special features. I like every one of them. They are like my own child, but there is always a time when you finish the project. It's like the child has grown up and you let him or her go out to see more of the world." Reich said.

 

"As with what we want to achieve in the WISS project I hope in future when children leave the school, there will always be a place in their heart to keep the sweet, happy memories of their WISS school days."

 

The unique campus is well worth a visit and is sure to satisfy the needs of any parent or student in search of a top international school.

 

(Shanghai Daily March 14, 2007)