MAD Architects unveiled their scheme for the upcoming “Courtyard Kindergarten”, which will be located within a traditional siheyuan courtyard in Beijing that dates back to 1725. Currently under construction, the kindergarten is expected to be operating by fall 2019.

The new kindergarten revives the site while preserving its cultural heritage. Envisioned as a “magical escape” for about 400 children ages 2-5, the building's most striking feature is its bright-colored “floating” roof, whose design is a play on an old Beijing saying. “There is a saying in old Beijing when children are naughty: ‘if you go three days without being punished, the roof will cave in,” explains Ma Yansong, principal of MAD Architects.

The roof functions as a playground where children can engage in outdoor sports and activities, and let their imagination run free. The southwest side of the roof has a subtly undulating surface of several small “hills” and “plains” that form a playful landscape.

Below the floating roof, the building's open-plan interior includes a teaching space, library, small theater, and gymnasium. The interior opens up to the adjacent historic buildings, giving the children alternating views between old and new. The building also respects the presence of three ancient trees on the site, enveloping them in a way that brings the outdoors in and allows plenty of sunlight into the interior.

“My ideal kindergarten is not a theme park, or a place of shelter. It should be objective and real, but go beyond reality and provide some space for the unknown and imagination,” Ma Yansong says.

Some of MAD's other recent projects include a beautifully restored lookout tunnel at the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Triennale in Japan, this proposed mixed-use tower that's topped by a cantilevered “cloud”, and the quirky “Gardenhouse” residences in Beverly Hills.

Project credits

Le Cheng Kindergarten
Beijing, China, 2017-2019 

Principal Partners in Charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Design Team: He Wei, Fu Xiaoyi, Xiao Ying, Chen Hungpin, Yin Jianfeng, Zhang Long, Zhao Meng, Kazushi Miyamoto, Dmitry Seregin, Ma Yue, Huang Jinkun, Ben Yuqiang, Chen Luman
Client: Yuecheng Group
Executive Architect: China Academy of Building Research
Interior Design: MAD Architects, Supercloud Studio
Signage Design: 2X4 Beijing
Landscape Architect: ECOLAND Planning and Design Corporation
Façade Construction: Beijing Jangho Curtain Wall System Engineering Co., Ltd.
Visualizations: SAN
Model Photography: CreatAR Images