UAD designs new faculty building at Dalian University of Technology showcasing its rich cultural heritage

Architectural Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University has designed the Faculty of Management and Economics building at the Dalian University of Technology in China. The octagon-shaped 35, 998m2 building features enclosed and inward-facing spaces offering a conducive learning environment. Presenting differences yet similarities, the connection and the transition between its various functional areas are seamless and in harmony with the southwest corner of the plot. The project takes site conditions into account, makes good use of natural and cultural resources, presents an appropriate layout that coordinates different functional areas, and considers overall image of the architecture, thereby providing a visual experience from every angle. Featuring grey bricks, stones, arched windows and curved porch at the entrance, the building follows the context of the campus, pursues optimised details to show the rich cultural heritage of the architecture and humanism of spaces. Mottled stains formed by water overflowing from copper weep holes on the walls, and the stone sign on the greened riprap on the east side, form the narrative referencing its past. The interplay of light and shadows also adds a layer as arched windows and curved porch at the entrance move slowly from the ground to the wall with the movement of the sun.