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Project Name: Runze Garden College
Design Firm: Yuanxi Creative Design Studio
Founder & Design Director: Duan Yuan
Project Location: Beijing, China
Project Area: 3500 square meters
As Mencius said, "When the heavens are about to rain, clouds are naturally formed, and the rain pours down, making the sprouts grow vigorously." This is referred to as the Way of Nourishment, the great principle by which the heavens nurture all things.
Duan Yuan, the founder and creative director of Yuanxi Creative, who has consistently delved deep into Chinese traditional culture, gladly undertook this meaningful project. Remarkably, the Runze College project, spanning 3500 square meters, was completed in just 56 days from design to completion.
Here, an "aerial cloud classroom" format will be employed to facilitate real-time interaction between online and offline platforms, allowing more people to experience "Chinese culture nourishing the heart" through advanced technological means!
Runze Garden panoramic design illustration
"In the northern darkness, there is a fish, and its name is Kun. The Kun is so huge, I don't know how many thousand li it measures. It transforms into a bird, and its name is Peng. The Peng's back is so vast, I don't know how many thousand li it spans. When it flies off in anger, its wings are like clouds hanging down from the sky."
Over two thousand years ago, Zhuangzi penned the magnificent and romantic imagery of the Kun and Peng with a grandiose flair. His words have since sparked endless imagination and praise among generations. The Poet Immortal, Li Bai, with equally fervent prose, extolled the Peng: "The great Peng soars with the wind in a day, ascending ninety thousand li straight up" and "Without the turmoil of the Ming Sea, how could we witness the Peng and Kun's grandeur?"
Only by stepping into Runze Garden can one truly comprehend that this mythical Peng also belongs to the courtyard houses.
The last tear shed by Kun tells us: no matter how powerful it once was, it ultimately remains just a Kun.
Today, breaking free from the vast ocean, it can finally ascend to the boundless sky, transforming from Kun to Peng.
Runze Garden College Main Entrance
Dignified Simplicity · Profound Implications
Runze Garden aims to be a vessel for the inheritance of "Chinese culture," striving to take root deep within the hearts of the Chinese people. It is a manifestation of family rites and etiquette, as well as a medium for the transmission and promotion of culture.
The beige exterior walls are understated and reserved, reflecting the spiritual essence of Chinese culture. A statue of Mr. Wang Yangming, a Ming Dynasty thinker, litterateur, and philosopher, holding a lantern symbolizes the light that illuminates our inner selves!
Runze Garden · Runze College
Majestic and Grand · Leading with Technology
Within Runze College, as far as the eye can see, two 70 square meter circular screens embrace the podium. The teacher stands in the middle of the podium, sharing insights against the backdrop of 1200 displayed images, and interacts in real-time with 700 additional screens.
The original intention behind the design of the circular screens is that, compared to flat screens, circular screens offer greater immersion and interactivity. No matter if a person is standing directly in front, to the left, or to the right, their distance to the screen is equal. The two large screens in the main venue form a circle, enveloping the teacher in the center, which invisibly narrows the distance between the teacher and the students.
Runze Garden · Garden Scenery
Runze Garden is a place for everyone to learn about Chinese culture, which has a core essence—Tao, and an even more central essence—Heart. Learning about Chinese culture helps us truly understand that everyone possesses endless treasures within their hearts.
Runze Garden · Design Rendering
Two 70 square meter circular screens embrace the podium, facilitating real-time online living room interactions. The top features a red circular design, simple and majestic, fully showcasing the Chinese style.
The design of the second-floor VIP lounge and reception room is a highlight of Runze Garden. Designer Duan Yuan extended the antique eaves of the traditional Chinese courtyard and ingeniously used thousands of acrylic light tubes, creating a perfect fusion of traditional culture and modern craftsmanship, thus cultivating an atmosphere of Chinese traditional culture.
The Taihang Mountain stone, with its simplicity, vigor, and solemnity, symbolizes hope, resilience, and courage, embodying the foundation of Chinese culture and expressing the accumulation of history. Complementing it is the lush spray-painted background, symbolizing light and rebirth!
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