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Learning does not begin when a class starts, nor does it end when it concludes. At the University of Hong Kong Business School Shanghai Centre, learning unfolds across a sequence of interconnected spaces, where conversation, reflection, and focus flow naturally from one moment to the next.
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Rather than centering the experience around traditional classrooms, the project places informal learning at its core. Lounge-like environments introduce a softer rhythm into the academic setting, offering moments of pause where people can settle in, slow down, and reconnect. Soft seating, modular sofas, and flexible tables are arranged to feel relaxed and unforced, supporting everything from quiet reflection to spontaneous conversation and small-group exchange.
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Comfort and flexibility are at the heart of these spaces. Seating clusters remain informal and adaptable, avoiding rigid patterns or prescriptive layouts. Varied heights, movable elements, and tactile materials create an environment that supports diverse postures and moods – whether leaning in for conversation, reclining for pause, or shifting positions during spontaneous collaboration. Integrated acoustic booths and semi-enclosed zones provide moments of retreat without full separation, allowing focused work or private discussion to coexist alongside more social activity. Natural light, generous spacing, and thoughtful furniture choices enhance the relaxed ambiance, so the space feels both welcoming and purposeful. In this way, rest and engagement are inseparable, with each encouraging the other.
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As discussions take shape, the spatial experience transitions into more structured environments. Multi-functional halls and teaching spaces support presentations, lectures, and collective focus, while reading rooms provide quieter settings for individual concentration. Throughout the project, movement between collaboration, presentation, and reflection feels intuitive and continuous.
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At the University of Hong Kong Business School Shanghai Centre, space becomes an active participant in education. Designed as an integrated learning ecosystem, it reflects a contemporary vision of business education, where insight often emerges beyond the classroom, shaped by interaction, environment, and everyday experience.





