design
School library blends eastern and western cultures
A contemporary library has been created for Keystone Academy, a new Chinese international school in Beijing.
designer Luke Hughes to design a space that blends these eastern and western ideas and to act as a showcase for potential students. The academy’s high ceilings, large
windows, and intelligent layouts make for inviting spaces that facilitate student learning, and the library needed to provide an inspiring and versatile space suitable for group discussion, lectures and events, and quiet independent study. Malcolm McKenzie explains: “One of the
university libraries and at the same time projects the ethos of Keystone Academy as a Chinese institution. Malcolm McKenzie, the founding
T academy’s principal, approached furniture
HE DESIGN brief was to create a library that conveys some of the values of the European and US
main things we have learned about school libraries is the importance of acclimatising and preparing students for the next stage of university learning, be it in UK or US universities or even within China. “We recognise that not all learning takes
place in classroom settings. We commit to and value student learning that takes place independently and the library is a
case in point where our students can explore areas of interest, make connections and enjoy unexpected discovery.”
Identity Keystone Academy is founded on three keystones: bilingual immersion in Chinese and English; building character and community throughout its residential setting; and promoting Chinese culture and identity in a world context. From the start, Luke Hughes wanted to
make the library a place the students want to go, where it’s cool to be seen; conducive to work, easy to gain on-line access but also somewhere to browse, ponder and graze. He says: “The concept of a library is quite a modern one in China and very different indeed from the European tradition of university libraries. “It is easy to forget that although the
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educationdab.co.uk
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