Gehekai Hall

The Gehekai Hall is located on the central axis of the WKU campus. It is also the campus “front door”, the first building visitors will see upon entering the campus. The south side of the building faces the crescent lawn in front of the building, where formal activities can be held, such as the school opening ceremony. The north side of the building, facing the lake and the Center of Student Learning and Activities, is the "crossroads" of the campus. Its facade is designed with the intention of encouraging dynamic and openness in an asymmetric form. One of the key feature of the building design is the third-floor roof viewing deck. All day and night, people will be able to ascend to this special rooftop garden and walk around the whole building to enjoy views of the campus in all directions east, south, west, and north.

A building inspired by "lanes and streets"

Part of the inspiration for the design of Gehekai Hall comes from the concept of lanes and streets. Functional Spaces such as classrooms, workshops and laboratories are arranged into strips, connected by spaces like Hutong, forming open interactive exhibition and communication spaces such as walkways and exhibition halls. The overall design is like an epitome of a community.

A large social staircase that serves as a"transportation hub"

By entering the hall, we can see the open atrium staircase. It is the " Hub " of the building, and through this large social staircase you can go to any classroom or activity arena freely. This large social staircase made of oak. It is not only the main gateway of the whole of Gehekai Hall, but also providing a space which can hold about 800 people to have activities. Above the great staircase of the atrium is a large glass ceiling. Sunlight can flow into the building through the ceiling. The warm light combined with the large oak staircase provides a social environment that is both natural and modern.

A study living space with compound function

Classroom

Classroom

Classroom

Lecture hall

Library

Reading room

Studio

Public space

Office

Gehekai Hall has classrooms, laboratories, offices, workshops, lecture hall, library, reading room, coffee shop, studio, etc, which not only meet the students' learning requirements, but also provide a lot of functional areas for them. Among these rooms, the upper layer of the building are studios for the students from the College of Architecture and Design mainly. The French Windows of the studio provide students with the most open view, this not only allows students to look at the beautiful scenery outside and have a relax, but also provides better creative inspiration for them.