Whittle School & Studios Shenzhen Campus, called the China Merchants Bureau Qianhai Economic and Trade Center Phase III in Qianhai marked its main construction building official end on June 21. Over the coming months, the building’s interior will be decorated, furnished, and prepared to welcome the first cohort of Whittle students this fall.
Chairman and CEO of the school Chris Whittle, Vice-Chairman and President Ian Thomas, Vice-Chairman and Chancellor Nick Dirks, and all the members of the Shenzhen Campus preparatory team attended the ceremony.
In a speech given at the ceremony, Whittle highlighted the strategic positioning of the campus: “Qianhai is situated in the core of the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. Our school will therefore be surrounded by the best institutions in the world,” he said. “This school will, in turn, inject further vitality into the region, by building the Qianhai International Science and Education Center, internationalizing the environment, and contributing to improved quality of life here.”
He continued: “Education is not only a bridge to the future, but also between different countries and cultures. Through our campus network, children from all over the world will come to know Qianhai, Shenzhen, and China. In turn, children from Shenzhen will also travel abroad to gain multicultural experiences, broaden their horizons, solidify their talents, and ultimately use their wisdom and knowledge to benefit mankind.”
The Shenzhen campus was designed by the renowned architecture firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Piano, whose work includes the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Shard in London, and the Centre George Pompidou in Paris, is a recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
The structure of the Shenzhen campus is based on the core concept of design for learning, focusing on students’ actual educational needs and experiences. With an emphasis on good ventilation, abundant natural light, and generous public spaces, the campus is aligned with Whittle School & Studios’ modern approach to education. Whittle School & Studios is committed to providing the highest-quality education for students and their families, and to creating an inclusive, motivated, accomplished community.
Whittle School & Studios Shenzhen Campus will open its doors to students in September 2019, at the same time as the Washington, DC Campus, an existing structure that is currently in the final phases of renovation, also being supervised by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. ― Construction+ Online
