Nanyang Technological University
School of Art, Design and Media (NTU-ADM)

According to the master plan of the 200-hectare university campus, the site where the Nanyang Technological University School of Art, Design and Media (NTU-ADM) sits is a wooded valley which was supposed to be left as a green lung. In order to keep to the original intention of the master plan, the architect carved a habitat from the constraints of the valley and allowed the landscape to play a critical role in moulding the building. NTU-ADM is the creation of a “non-building”, allowing the original greenery of the site to creep and colonise.

The key feature of the building is its transparency and connectivity – both within the interior spaces and the external environment. There is a great sense of continuity in the interior, from the entrance to the main foyer to various spaces inside and right into the turfed roofs. Internal glass walls enhance this visual connectivity and flow, allowing one to see beyond rooms thus promoting interaction and creative exchange.

The building design challenges the traditional linear system of education with a clear teacher-student arrangement. Here, different types of spaces are created – from the formal auditorium seating to the more informal studios, lobbies, passageways and breakout lounges. There are also cosy outdoor corners, a sunken plaza formed by the embracing arms of the building and the turfed roofs.

The glass façade of the building also allows full exterior views, again providing visual connectivity with the surrounding lush landscape. Lights are incorporated onto the roof to allow students to meet in the evening. At night, the building glows like a lantern allowing activities of the school to be observed from the outside. The changing character of the façade lends dynamism, life and interest to the building as day transforms into night.