Sino-French Centre of Tongji-University is located at the south-east corner of the campus, with 12.9 Building, the oldest existing building of the campus, and 12.9 Memorial Park on its west side, tracking field on its south side, and Siping Road on its east Side. XuRi-Building, which should be preserved, is located at the northwest corner of the site. And the other precondition is that a group of existing meta sequoias and the other scattered located nine trees such as deodar cedars, plane-trees, Japanese pagoda-trees and willows are chosen to be retained.
The goal of this project is to create a form system to integrate its program, its site context and its cultural context. Our way to achieve these is to use a geometric diagram to control the materialization of its program and circulation, to conform to the site restriction, and also to indicate its symbolic meaning, the culture exchange between two countries. This diagram of “Hand in Hand” is introduced to organize the whole building with its inherent structure of dualistic juxtaposition.
The program is composed of three parts: college, office and public gathering space. Two similar but different zigzag volumes, occupied by college and office sector respectively, overlap and interlace each other, and then they are linked together by the volume of public gathering space on underground and up level. The college and office sector share the main entrance which is located at the void part of the intersection of these two volumes, while public gathering space has its own lobby, which faces to roof pool and sunken garden, to connect underground exhibit hall and lecture hall on the up level. The function of the college and offices is well kept in mind by using regular shapes for almost each unit. Yet applying zigzag corridor to connect these units creates abundant interests throughout inside and outside space. In the meanwhile, existing trees are incorporated into the design to add more charms to this complex.
Different materials and tectonics are applied to the different components of the complex. The college is wrapped with Cor-Ten steel panels. The unique texture and colour of the panels and the smoothness of the glass create delicate variation. Coated cement panel are introduced into the office sector. Regular and irregular window bands provide sunlight to the office unites and corridors. Public gathering space is created by the combination of both Cor-Ten steel panels and coated cement panel. The vivid colour and texture of Cor-Ten steel panel is contracted with plain grey cement panel. This treatment indicates the symbolic meaning of this project, the juxtaposition of two different cultures.

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Inspired by the mission of the centre to promote cooperation and cultural exchange between China and France, Atelier Z+ developed a “hand-in-hand” scheme that juxtaposes forms, materials, and functions. Instead of blurring or masking differences, the architects celebrated them. In doing so, they created a centre that reads as two buildings—one clad in Cor-ten steel and the other in precoated cement panels, one with a sharply angled profile, the other with a flat roof. The rusting orange wing houses mostly college classrooms and lecture halls, while the gray-cement wing provides space mostly for offices.

The college sector with its angled Cor-ten envelope has a more dramatic personality than the gray-suited office sector, as if to say that the process of learning is the star here and the administrative function plays a supporting role. Inside, the college sector is more colorful too, its public spaces wrapped in rich shiny wood that has a warm, orange glow. Zhang Bin and Zhou Wei injected another note of visual excitement here by attaching conical volumes to several of the classrooms, designing sensual forms that reach up to the roof and bring daylight inside. Clad in the same rich wood as the rest of the college interior, the cones recall Richard Roger’s design for the Bordeaux Law Courts in France, though done on a smaller scale and budget. The architects also created a curving steel stair for the college sector, adding yet another expressionistic element to the vibrant mix of forms and color. The office sector, on the other hand, is more subdued, with white walls, simple materials, and cleanly detailed fenestration.

Where the two sectors come together, Atelier z+ created a pair of memorable spaces that combine indoors and out: a partially covered sunken garden on the basement level and a reflecting pool one floor above. An exhibition hall and a café flank the sunken garden, creating a suite of public spaces shared by everyone at the centre.

Landscape design plays an important part in the building’s success. Not only did the architects preserve many trees growing on the site, but they oriented their building to work with an existing Memorial Park that includes the Martyrs Monument. With the Sino-French Centre defining a new edge for the park, the architects expect this outdoor space to assume a more important social function for the entire campus. The retained existing meta sequoias, surrounded by office sector, public gathering area and XuRi-Building form an entry plaza of the complex. Connected with 12.9 Memorial Park, this space will become a very important outdoor space to serve the entire campus. The connection between two parts of the building formed a roof pool and a sunken garden, which becomes an inter-media between urban space and campus space. A semi private garden, created by the college and the office sector, gives a peaceful place for studying and relaxing.
Eventually, by applying different geometries, materials, colours and tectonics, we create a unique architectural piece that has a through and profound group of the meanings of cultural exchange between China and France.

Set in the southeast corner of Tongji University, the Sino-French Centre fits into a dense campus fabric that has developed since the university was founded in 1907. With its east side facing busy Siping Road, its north almost touching the existing Xuri Pavilion, and its west addressing the Monument of Martyrs and a large classroom building, the Centre must negotiate a number of different conditions. In addition, the university wanted to preserve many of the beautiful trees on the site. Atelier Z+, a young Shanghai firm established in 2002 by Zhang Bin and Zhou Wei, responded to these challenges by designing a building that zig-zags its way around the site, creating outdoor spaces that weave trees and neighboring buildings into its sphere of influence without overpowering them.
Project Name: Sino-French Centre, Tongji-University
Location: Main Campus of Tongji-University, 1239 Siping Rd., Shanghai
Client: Tongji-University
Architects: Zhang Bin, Zhou Wei
Project Team: Zhuang Sheng, Lu Jun, Wang Jiaqi, Xie Jing
Structure: reinforced concrete frame, partly steel frame; Basement, 5 stories and a penthouse
Principal Use: college, office, conference centre and exhibition
Material: Cor-Ten steel panels, precoated cement panels, exposed concrete, steel profile, aluminium, glass, timber
Building Area: 3,142 sqm
Gross Floor Area: 13,575 sqm
Cost: 60,000,000 Yuan RMB
Design Period: 2004.03-2006.10
Construction Period: 2004.12-2006.10

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