Ge Hekai Hall

Ge Hekai Hall at Wenzhou Kean University (WKU) is an emerging educational building type in which diverse academic and research programs are gathered into a major campus hub. This interconnected facility encompasses the College of Architecture, the College of Design, and the School of Computer Science.  The unique mix is cultural as well as academic—as a Chinese institution whose curriculum is provided by Kean University in the United States, WKU offers students dual Chinese and American degrees, with students from both countries.

Ge Hekai holds  a prominent position at the  heart of WKU’s fast-growing campus, following a master plan by Michael Graves Architecture and Design. Its design superimposes open plan design studios over a two-story base of flexible loft spaces that house class labs, library, maker spaces, and office suites. The base buildings form a pattern of lofts and alleys, clad in dark gray granite, contrasting with the white ultra-high-performance concrete of the upper structure. At the north and south, grand porches address major campus spaces, and frame entrances to the great central hall , which boasts stadium seating reminiscent of Rome’s Piazza di Spagna. This central hall serves as the largest shared venue on campus for a wide range of events.