Header: Shawn Koh
The renovation of the music classroom at the Western Academy of Beijing has transformed the prestigious school into a vibrant, colourful environment. Conducted by studio vapore, a local Beijing-based design office, the refurbishment is part of a broader campus upgrade that aims to convert existing spaces into facilities dedicated to music education, supporting both individual and group learning.
Spatial organization
The department is organised as a sequence of classrooms linked by a shared corridor. Each classroom features several adjacent practice rooms and is assigned to a specific teacher. The spaces accommodate teaching, group work, and ensemble rehearsals, while the practice rooms support individual and small-group sessions. Classrooms and practice rooms are connected through glass partitions, allowing supervision while maintaining visual continuity and encouraging simultaneous activities. This enables teaching, rehearsals, and practice to take place at the same time.
Taking care of the acoustic
Acoustic performance was developed in collaboration with acoustic engineers. Treatments are integrated into every part of the design, from walls and ceilings to floors and built-in elements, effectively limiting sound transfer. Rather than completely soundproofing the rooms, the insulation is calibrated to allow an overlap across the corridors. That way, passers-by can hear the rehearsals and enjoy the music while walking through the hallways.
Let colour lead the way
The main classrooms are painted in different hues depending on the age group of their users. The colour marks each entrance, guiding the pupils to the appropriate classroom. A saturated field of colour defines the entrance to the music area. The interior of the classrooms boasts mostly neutral hues with a strong shade along the window side, which links them to adjacent, vibrantly painted practice rooms. Felt panels, fabrics, and acoustic elements are all made in similar vibrant shades, accompanied by warmer lighting that improves focus. Three-dimensional acoustic tiles manipulate the sound within the space, arranged into a visual pattern that mimics the structure of music.
studio vapore, a multidisciplinary design practice specialised in educational design, has transformed once-neutral classrooms into vibrant spaces with bold colours and a clear identity shaped by music. The music department at the Western Academy of Beijing has been redesigned to support both theoretical learning and group and individual practice through the integration of layout, colour, and acoustic solutions.
Technical sheet
Project Name: Music Classrooms at The Western Academy of Beijing
Client: The Western Academy of Beijing
Size: 700sqm
Designer: studio vapore
Design Team: Erica Borsa, Yumi Zhang, Hongyu Yu, Martin Zhou
Acoustic Engineering: Delhom Acoustics
Lighting Design & Consultant: Studio Vapore & Beijing Mostar Technology
General Contractor: Beijing Xiangyang Hongda Construction Co., Ltd.
Custom Furniture Contractor: LMFU Furniture
Source: v2com-newswire
