ISLAND SCHOOL BY SCHMIDT HAMMER LASSEN ARCHITECTS

Danish schmidt hammer lassen architects and Hong Kong based Thomas Chow Architects have been appointed to design the new Island School in Hong Kong, China. The new Island School will be placed on the site of the existing school, which was built in 1967. The site has a clear visual connection to the green mountain landscape and the Hong Kong city skyline and waterfront.

This visual connection plays an important role in the schmidt hammer lassen architects/Thomas Chow Architects response to the design competition. An atrium, which contains the school’s learning plaza, runs through the complex, framing the view towards the green landscape on one side and the city on the other. The visual connection supports the perception of the school in relation to its surroundings – the landscape and the city. The building concept submitted for the competition was designed and organized as a sustainable learning landscape with balconies and green gardens.

The shape of the building, with cantilevering facades, creates shade where needed. In other places, the facade leans back to allow daylight into the learning spaces without causing overheating. The internal functions of the building were organized around a learning plaza, which runs through the main arrival level of the school and connects to the atrium. The gardens and the greenery would also help to cool the building, contributing to a good indoor climate, while the atrium creates good lighting conditions that minimize the use of artificial light within the building.

Location: Hong Kong, China 
Architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects 
Project Team: Thomas Chow Architects, schmidt hammer lassen architects 
Engineer: AECOM, Aurecon 
Landscape Architect: Urbis 
Area: 28,000 m2 
Year: 2014 
Competition: 2014, 1st prize, international competition 
Client: English Schools Foundation