![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Waterfront, Garden](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e29e/e58e/ce78/6500/003f/medium_jpg/Wuji_Academy_by_Wutopia_Lab_(1).jpg?1480319636)
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Architects: Wutopia Lab
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Photographs:Shengliang Su
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/dfcd/e58e/ceb6/1900/002a/medium_jpg/Wuji_Academy_by_Wutopia_Lab_(2).jpg?1480318920)
Text description provided by the architects. In 2006, house No. 1, house No. 2 and courtyard No. 3 were completed at the same time in Jiu Jian Tang, Shanghai, which were all designed by famous international architect Arata Isozaki.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Image 8 of 24](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e4c2/e58e/ceb6/1900/003e/newsletter/Interior_(2).jpg?1480320187)
In 2011, the owners of these estates, unbeknownst to the others, invited local architect Yu Ting to transform them one by one.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e068/e58e/ce78/6500/0031/newsletter/Wuji_Academy_by_Wutopia_Lab_(4).jpg?1480319072)
After a long time of disuse, house No.2 would become an academy special for ancient Chinese classics, expanding from 400 to 900 sqm, as the owner’s wish.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e2a8/e58e/ceb6/1900/0037/newsletter/Wuji_Academy_by_Wutopia_Lab_(6).jpg?1480319652)
After bound up the old building with bamboo curtain wall, the architect covered it with a translucent rice paper glass box to weaken the sense of volume. The side atrium, a public space lacking in old building appeared naturally in the gap between these two boxes. The 6-meter-high gate, looks like a dramatic cave made the side atrium more like a courtyard blurring the inside and outside space.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Image 18 of 24](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/dfe4/e58e/ceb6/1900/002b/medium_jpg/1F.jpg?1480318940)
The new-built classroom is a pure glass box. It suggests functional differences of interior by comparing to old building in symmetry to reach an accurate balance on the façade. For example, rounded and right angle; translucent and transparent, vertical and horizontal grid.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Windows, Beam](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e490/e58e/ceb6/1900/003d/medium_jpg/Interior_(3).jpg?1480320141)
The façade of Wu Ji is a space not a boundary. Tier upon tier, Architect used Capitalism architecture vocabulary to create Chinese mood as a result in this space. The Isozaki’s work can’t be elucidated in the Wu Ji at last. It is only a distant memory. Wu Ji is a totally new one.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Shelving](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e473/e58e/ce78/6500/0046/newsletter/Interior_(1).jpg?1480320109)
Those 3 buildings were looked on as whole but humdrum by Isozaki. As a result of different functions, they rebuilt in different methods, finally reached a balance of harmony, which we called Mutation.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Image 22 of 24](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e02d/e58e/ce78/6500/0030/newsletter/Section_2-2.jpg?1480319016)
You can find more information on the other two buildings, one is ‘Kaisersaal of Longevity,Kun opera playhouse’,another is ‘painter’s Atelier’.
![Wu Ji Academy / Wutopia Lab - Image 15 of 24](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/583b/e407/e58e/ce78/6500/0045/medium_jpg/Details_(4).jpg?1480320000)