Beikin Garden has been conceived as a place of enchantment. AI, despite its mighty power in data collection and pattern learning, it lacks what Einstein coined as “a vivid sense of the beautiful and of the morally good”. Natural intelligence, on the contrary, arises from a mysterious fit between the human-made and the natural, that is, an enchanting topophilia between people and place.
Walls have long been integral to the spatial organization of Chinese cities. In contemporary China, university campuses function as distinct entities within urban environments, maintaining clear boundaries to preserve academic order and avoid becoming tourist attractions. This delineation raises a critical question in urban and landscape design: how can we redefine campus boundaries to foster shared spaces between academic institutions and their surrounding communities?
Beikun Garden draws inspiration from Zhuangzi’s Xiaoyao You and the transformative imagery of the Kunpeng, embodying the philosophy of metamorphosis. The name “Beikun” originates from Zhuangzi’s depiction of a giant fish, Kun, in the northern seas, which transforms into a massive bird, Peng, symbolizing a journey toward expansive freedom. The design introduces an inhabitable “Wall-Garden” that reimagines the interface between university and the city, resulting in a shared public domain.
The project reconfigures the institutional boundary by transforming the campus’s northwest corner into a public green space accessible to both university members and city residents. Previously a narrow pedestrian walkway, this area has been expanded into an inviting public garden that encourages exploration, relaxation and retreat. The design integrates natural textures with distinctive design vocabularies (amphitheatres, sunken nook-gardens, wedged planter courts, brick traceries and lattice view windows), creating an elastic and inhabitable boundary that serves as a hub for nature, leisure, and culture. Beikun Garden achieves a balance between the openness and independence characteristic of Chinese universities, revitalizing the urban interface while preserving the academic ethos. This humble intervention establishes a new paradigm for urban public life.
Beikun Garden: a place of enchantment
Location: School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Minhang District, Shanghai, China.
Designer: Studio RUAN Xing, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Architects: RUAN Xing, ZHANG Yang (planting), ZHAO Dongmin, WU Xiongyin, LUO Huichao (site supervision), LU Shaobo, KONG Fanqiang (public art), XIAO Bing (logo)
Client Name: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Zero Bay Investment Development (Group) Co., Ltd.
Construction Company: Shanghai Songling Landscaping Construction Development Co., Ltd.
Photographer: SU Shengliang, Chill Shine, LUO Huichao