As we increasingly grapple with the challenges of rapid urbanisation and climate change, urban areas are faced with having to combat issues from severe flooding to water scarcity, shrinking biodiversity and dearth of resources. The sponge city concept, adopted by China in its urban planning policies, responds to this crisis. It heralds a transformative approach to enhance a city's capacity to absorb, store and utilise rainwater through inventive green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. The New Sports and Arts Centre of Hongling High School, China by Guangzhou-based O-office Architects embraces this philosophy by envisioning the educational building as a porous sponge, reflecting a commitment to sustainable architecture.

The expansion project of Hongling High School aims at revitalising the socio-cultural functions of the educational architecture through a spatial programme that incorporates extracurricular activities. The Chinese architects have redeveloped the existing campus into a multifaceted venue offering expansive spaces for gathering and play while improving internal connectivity and interaction. This redevelopment includes the addition of a new sports and arts facility, featuring an interconnected public circulation network with three north-south ramps—ensuring accessible design for all—and three east-west pathways above the sports hall. The network connects various spaces including the teaching buildings on the east, the track and field on the west and the dormitory areas to the north.

As Ying Jiang, Co-founder and Principal architects at O-office Architects goes on to note, “Students can pass through the open-air landscape on the top level from their classroom compound to the outdoor track and field or their dormitory rooms, without going down to the ground floor.”

The design for the New Sports and Arts Centre is conceived as an extension of the hill to the south of the campus with a slope of approximately 10 per cent. Rising from the ground, the facility comprises three linear landscape infrastructural buildings (LIB) housing a terraced rooftop cluster of eight steel structures. Arranged along the slope from south to north, these modular truss boxes are crafted on a 30x30 grid system to provide space for rooftop sports courts, club activities and indoor art classrooms.

“This dimension can work with various types of sports fields with different heights, such as basketball, badminton, gymnastics, etc., and they can also be changed to other types of sports in the future,” the design team told STIR. By integrating these structures with the natural slope, the scheme enhances campus functionality while minimising environmental impact.

The landscape design of the stepped buildings serves as a sponge-like spatial nexus, integrating the campus activities and traffic into a cohesive, organic network. In parallel, the sports architecture situated below these terraces features two expansive zones, each approximately 4,000 square metres, collectively spanning up to 8,000 square metres, with interconnecting passages. These versatile spaces are designed to support a variety of sports, including basketball, table tennis, gymnastics and swimming. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, the sports hall incorporates elevated gabion walls to shield against heat and uses large openings to enhance natural ventilation.

The project exemplifies a contemporary approach to school design, blending functional needs with ecological and cultural sensitivity. Green roofs intermingling with playgrounds, the openness and ease of movement facilitated by ramps and courts and the juxtaposition of the builtscape with existing natural landscape helps create a cohesive environment that harmonises architecture with nature. In contrast, the design for the Jinting Bay chapel by the Chinese architecture studio (previously covered by STIR) stands out as "a statue of the sea" from its natural context.

Balancing both the natural and the man-made facets in their designs—whether they stand out or blend in—O-office Architects’ thoughtful vision not only enhances the campus’ functionality but also augments the student experience by providing versatile spaces for sports and cultural events. Daily interactions with arts, sports and nature enrich students' time in school, with lasting memories and deep emotional ties to the space, facilities and people.

Project Details

Name: New Sports and Arts Centre of Hongling High School
Location: Futian District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China
Typology: Sports Architecture
Client: Shenzhen Futian District Public Works Department
Architect: O-office Architects
Design Team: He Jianxiang, Jiang Ying, Dong Jingyu, Wu Yifei, Chen Xiaolin, Yang Jian, Huang Chengqiang, Wang Yue, Wu Siming, Peng Weisen
Structural Consultant: Lao Yun, Ye Guoxiang, Zou Yongqiang / RBS Architectural Engiuneering Design
Façade Design Consultant: Yang Kangle, Zhong Zaishun, Chen Chaohui / TFC
Landscape Design Consultant: Pan Yongren, Chen Mange, Huang Xiaolin，Feng Chun / TOP DESIGN
Constructor: Fanhua Construction Group Co.,Ltd.
Signage Design: Hu Guangjun, Wu Peixin, Chen Xinjun / Gwangjun.com
Site Area: 13686 sqm
Gross Built Area: 22047 sqm
Year of Completion: 2023