Architectural Cases

Where Imagination Grows: Unveiling Kunshan's Block Kindergarten

Architectural Vision: Building Blocks of Learning Amidst Urban Density

The Block Kindergarten, designed by SoBa Architects, is strategically situated in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China. This 9,012-square-meter facility, intended for 21 classes, directly addresses the spatial challenges of its urban location, which is characterized by towering residential buildings and essential city infrastructure. The design cleverly combines enclosed architectural forms with multi-layered landscape elements to carve out a secure and engaging campus for its young occupants.

Creating a Protected Haven: Mitigating Urban Challenges with Green Buffers

With high-rise structures dominating the northern and eastern perimeters, and various utility facilities along the southern edge, the kindergarten's design focuses on establishing a shielded internal sanctuary. Simultaneously, it maintains a gradual and controlled visual connection to the broader city and natural environment. By strategically shifting the building mass northward, the project incorporates a dense green buffer along the southern boundary, effectively utilizing the landscape as a protective and environmental barrier between the school and the adjacent infrastructure.

Modular Design and Central Courtyard: A Fragmented Castle for Play

The architectural scheme draws inspiration from modular blocks, resulting in a composition of stacked and offset volumes. This arrangement evokes a fragmented, castle-like appearance, offering both clear spatial organization and diverse outdoor experiences. A central courtyard, enclosed by the building's layout, serves as the primary outdoor area for children's play, movement, and daily activities. Strategically placed openings on the southern facade, featuring staircases and transparent glass sections, punctuate the enclosure. These elements frame specific views of the city, sky, and surrounding trees, preserving the courtyard's privacy while allowing children to remain connected to the larger urban context.

Sensory Rich Environments: Integrating Light, Color, and Nature for Enhanced Learning

SoBa Architects has meticulously integrated light, color, and scale to create an emotionally resonant and sensorily rich learning environment throughout the kindergarten. Different saturation and brightness levels in color schemes help distinguish various zones, such as circulation areas, classrooms, and communal spaces, thereby aiding sensory perception and spatial orientation for the children. The design ethos embraces "emotional architecture," orchestrating these elements to influence atmosphere and spatial experience.

Harmony with Nature: Fostering Ecological Understanding through Design

Natural light floods the interiors through courtyards, corridors, and expansive glazed openings, ensuring dynamic and ever-changing internal conditions. The building's north-south alignment positions lower volumes to the south and taller ones to the north, optimizing daylight penetration. Classrooms are located along the perimeter to maximize natural light, while support services are concentrated on the western side. Administrative offices are housed on upper levels, and shared facilities like the multipurpose hall, reading room, and music room are placed at the junctions of different building sections. At the heart of the campus, the courtyard features play areas, gardens, and landscaped zones arranged in a planetary diagram, echoing the solar system. This design, with its radiating orbital paths, structures diverse activity spaces and reinforces the kindergarten's educational emphasis on nature and environmental observation. Further ecological learning is supported by a planting garden, where children can witness seasonal growth cycles, and a rain garden that collects stormwater, integrating environmental processes into daily campus life. Through this thoughtful combination of modular architecture, secure courtyards, protective landscapes, and sensory design strategies, Block Kindergarten by SoBa Architects successfully cultivates an enriching educational space that harmonizes urban demands with the inherent curiosity and perception of childhood.

The exploration of modern living environments remains a primary focus for architects and designers globally. Amidst evolving styles and the blending of traditions, contemporary interior design masterfully combines diverse materials, textures, and palettes to redefine personal spaces. Within the context of our homes, design serves as a crucial framework, supporting the intricate balance of daily life. The recent Milan Design Week 2026 highlighted this with the fourth iteration of 'Appartamento Spagnolo,' a collaboration between ICEX and Elle Decor Italia. This exhibition presented a unique platform for showcasing cutting-edge Spanish interior design within the grand setting of a historic palazzo.

This year's 'Appartamento Spagnolo' at Milan Design Week 2026 was a testament to the dynamic evolution of Spanish interior design. The exhibition, a joint effort by ICEX and Elle Decor Italia, skillfully blended historical architectural grandeur with contemporary design concepts. By transforming the Palazzo Castiglioni into a series of immersive domestic environments, the event offered a compelling vision of how modern living spaces can be both functional and aesthetically rich, while adhering to principles of sustainability and innovation.

The Palazzo Castiglioni Transformed: A Canvas for Modern Living

The philosophical underpinnings of modern design were vividly expressed through Studiopepe's exhibition design at the Palazzo Castiglioni. Organized by Interiors from Spain and curated by Elle Decor Italia, the exhibition artfully re-imagined the historic palace into a series of temporary domestic settings. Each section of the exhibition was dedicated to a specific residential function, spanning various rooms including the Sala Pavoni, Sala Sommaruga, Sala Liberty, central passageways, the winter garden, and the courtyard. Studiopepe's strategy involved creating a fluid spatial configuration with six distinct ambiances, achieved by segmenting the vast spaces using lightweight, adaptable partitions.

Milan-based Studiopepe, led by Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto, envisioned this project as a 'dwelling within a dwelling,' contrasting the contemporary aesthetic with the palace's traditional ornamentation. The interior layout was structured around individual volumetric units, characterized by their graceful, organic forms. This design approach skillfully established a dual spatial narrative: the enduring architectural framework of the past accommodating the transient, contemporary volumes. Each designed environment served a specific domestic purpose, such as living areas, dining spaces, kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms, alongside transitional zones. The circulation path was non-linear, connecting all areas through smooth transitions rather than conventional hallways.

Innovative Design Elements and Material Harmony

To establish seamless spatial continuity, a carefully curated color scheme was applied across all the rooms. Deep brown and chocolate tones formed the base palette, subtly accented with pastel green and vivid acid yellow. Lighting played a crucial role, integrated into the architectural design to enhance depth and create visual layers. Both ambient and task lighting systems were strategically employed to emphasize transitions between spaces and highlight the interplay of materials across various surfaces, textiles, and ceramic applications. The exhibition also featured contributions from a diverse group of Spanish brands, including Agora, Alexandra, Ape Group, and many others, with each piece thoughtfully integrated to form a cohesive living system rather than being displayed as isolated objects.

The installation presented a compelling example of 'reversible architecture,' where architecture, interior design, and product display were unified through elements of subdivision, permeability, and material integration. The project made extensive use of lightweight constructions, modular components, and demountable partitions. Guided by the concept of discovery, the exhibition masterfully interpreted the contemporary living environment, crafting intimate atmospheres each possessing a unique and distinct character. The strategic use of semi-transparent metal mesh curtains served as primary dividing elements, defining boundaries without fully enclosing spaces. These permeable screens maintained visual flow between rooms while directing movement and access, particularly in the winter garden, where interventions were minimal to preserve existing architectural details and introduce modular furniture as flexible additions. This area beautifully bridged the gap between the historical structure and the modern installation.