We tried to explore ways to increase density without increasing overall height and bulk of the building through thinking landscaping and building together in the redevelopment.

The project has a specific site. It is a school hall on top of a slope with a large retaining wall. The school wished to enlarge the hall and add some learning spaces. A solid mass on one side of the slope is needed to act as a retaining structure for the big slope behind and piling to the redevelopment. Instead of pure geotechnical structure or feature, we introduce a series of rooms forming a cultural landscape. By lifting the large hall up just by one floor, we can retain the vistas in the campus, and free up the ground for students. Through small terraces and stairs students enter into the art, music, drama rooms, and down to the primary campus at the bottom of the slope. Rooms and terraces are organized and responded to the activities of the students. Architecture become stages, liberating students’ creativity.