Manchester's BDP wins contract to design a Shanghai international business school

BDP Manchester Studio has won the commission to design the International Business School in the ancient city of Suzhou which lies 80 km to the west of Shanghai.

The school makes up the last building of the Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University (XJTLU) south campus. XJTLU is a new international university founded in 2006 by Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, and the University of Liverpool, UK, as a joint venture, and is the first and only one of its kind approved by the Ministry of Education in China.

BDP was appointed in 2012 to masterplan the large-scale campus to provide world-class teaching, laboratory and research facilities, and has already designed five faculty buildings on the site.

This latest commission will provide 30,000 sq m flexible accommodation for the school’s three core areas of activity: research, learning and teaching, business engagement.

The new building will look inwards facing the lake at heart of the campus. It has been designed with a highly glazed east-facing façade which promotes interaction between the interior and the landscape around the lake. The detail of the glass louvres has been developed to maximise natural daylight whilst minimising solar gain.

Architect associate Michael Cambden said: “Articulation of the glazing, structure and louvres creates a screen that combines elements of eastern and western design to reflect truly the international status of the school.”

The building provides a range of flexible learning environments, and is designed so that every part of the building is used fully throughout the day. The atrium contains a diverse range of social and learning spaces including a welcome and exhibition area, a café, games area, learning resource centre and an innovation hub.

Gavin Elliott, BDP Manchester Studio chairman, said: “BDP’s multi-sector portfolio, creativity and expertise in sustainability and place-making make it perfectly suited to working in China.

“BDP has a long history and excellent reputation of designing for the education sector so it’s fantastic to be able to export that knowledge to a country with such ambitious plans for growth’

The growing BDP Shanghai studio is now delivering 150 projects in 30 locations, ranging from masterplans for new urban districts, to education campuses and retail and tourism centres.

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