123+ Growth Center

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

123+ GROWTH CENTER

Fernanda Reyes

ARCHITECTS
Wutopia Lab

CLIENT
Shanghai Xiao Chen Education

CONSTRUCTION
Lin Decoration

INTERIORS DESIGNERS
Wutopia Lab

PHOTOGRAPHS
Shao Feng

AREA
467 m²

YEAR
2016

LOCATION
China

CATEGORY
Kindergarten, Interior Design

As a mother and a designer, she was not satisfied with growth centers in Shanghai, finally, she got a chance to design one by herself.

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

The Designer decided to build a space that is completely belong to kids, rather than using concrete figurative that many adults believe kids will prefer. Thanks to the restriction of facade, an inner world was gained.

Offices and Parents’ room are on the Basement, classroom is on the Second floor. Both parents and kids can use the first floor. It can be regarded as a new world wrapped by the continuous pine veneer, including floors and ceilings.

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

There is a small wood house in the center of the new world, kids can do whatever they want.

The continuous veneer brings a transitional space between the kids’ inner world and the outside normal life.

This is an elaborately world created by a mother. ‘If you don’t go through the world, you will never know where your spirits and feelings belong to.

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

Once you travel around the world, we can never go back to the wonderland. At the moment when we begin to looking for something, we begin to lose something.

But we won’t realize the value of normal life until starting to chase something.’

NARRATIVE OF DESIGNER: FLYING ELEPHANT OF CHILDISHNESS

Everyone is a kid, although only few of us remember it.

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

As a mother of six-year-old girl, sometimes I found it is my kid shows me the world rather than I teach her. Children believe there is a wonderland, they dream impossible things become possible. They can find pleasures even from the most normal things in life.

We came across variety of kindergarten and growth center, but all of them are concrete figurative. They are gifts from adults, carrying their imaginative childish. While none of them belongs to kids.

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

I used abstract things instead of concrete things in the growth center, let kids explore the space with their imagination. I used three different architectural language to imply the common family structure in shanghai, 2 adults and 1 child.

I believed that adults should give children chances, not to let them beat us, but to give kids a chance to free like a bird. The growth center is an opportunity for kids from our adults.

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

Standing in the growth center, I looked at it carefully as a child.

To my surprise, I found a hidden elephant on the wall. The elephant hided in the growth center is elephant of childishness, is the untied imagination, is love.

123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng

The 123+ Growth Center is the beginning of kids’ life.


123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng


123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng
123+ Growth Center
© Shao Feng


123+ Growth Center
Section 01
123+ Growth Center
Section 02
123+ Growth Center
Section 03
123+ Growth Center
Section 04


123+ Growth Center
Firsat floor plan
123+ Growth Center
Second floor plan


123+ Growth Center
Reading house facade
123+ Growth Center
Reading house section