Family Box in Beijing | SAKO architects

FAMILY BOX in Beijing is an early childhood education center located in the residential area of Beijing CBD. The design of the center was developed from a concept of colorful trees; the final design reflects this in an abstract and playful way.

The public program of the center is distributed over the three stories of the building. The main entrance is at the ground floor together with the center’s three children’s swimming pools. The second and third floors are home to 15 separate class and activity rooms including a kitchen, a supermarket, a music room, a dance room, a cafeteria and an indoor exercise and play area.

Twelve large colorful cylinders divide the space on the second and third floors. Placed seemingly at random these cylinders, and the interstitial spaces they define become the different rooms and activities within the center. The different colors, the variations of free form curved openings, and the inclined walls of the cylinders strengthen the playful atmosphere of the center.

A central corridor links to all the cylinders and provides a space on the third floor where children can see all the different forms, openings and inclined walls of the ‘trees’.

White finishes and worm-lighting have been employed throughout the center allowing the cheerfully colored themes to play feature roles in the space.

The center provides an optimal educational environment where children can engage in a great variety of activities and enrich their imaginations. The variation of spaces creates a joyful and pleasant space that stimulates the curiosity of children.