November 12, 2023
SAKO Architects has sent us photos of a kindergarten they designed in Tianshui, China, that features a white exterior with a kaleidoscope of colors.
The kindergarten, built in a small provincial town, features white exterior walls with windows in the shape of local yao-tung arches.
Sunlight from the glass roof penetrates and reflects off the colored glass of the balustrade, creating shades of various colors. The entire atrium is like a kaleidoscope that is constantly changing from moment to moment.
A total of 438 pieces of 10 different colors of colored glass were used throughout the building for the windows and railings.
The shadows repeatedly expand and contract as the colors overlap each other and become different colors, or as they move from the vertical to the horizontal plane.
The rooftop, which also features colorful glass, allows the children to see the world through a different lens.
Here’s a look at the first-floor plan and the section drawing of the building.