The Lee Jung Sen Building
Innovative, East-Meets-West Design
Stanford Center at Peking University will be housed in the Lee Jung Sen Building in the Langrun Yuan area of the Peking University campus. Named for PKU alumnus and father of former Stanford Board of Trustees member, Chien Lee '75, MS '75, MBA '79, the building is being designed by the distinguished Beijing architectural firm Mo Atelier Szeto. Located on the grounds of a former imperial palace, the Center reconstructs the original Chinese courtyard building above a modern, state-of-the-art facility.
A key design consideration was the creation of flexible space that can accommodate multiple functions gracefully. The floor plan balances private offices and meeting rooms with expansive open areas, supporting formal gatherings as well as casual exchanges and interaction among faculty, students, scholars and alumni.
The three floors are symbolic of the collaboration between cultures and institutions on opposite sides of the Pacific. The ground floor will match the same Siheyuan architecture employed by the surrounding Langrun Yuan buildings. In accordance with strict preservation guidelines for this protected historic site, the courtyard building is a traditional gujian wood structure built by specially trained craftsmen using interlocking mortise-and-tenon joinery, eliminating the need for nails or glue. The interior design and furnishings of the rooms on this level will complement the traditional style of the building.
The building's design gracefully combines the best of Chinese and western architecture.
Providing space below grade allowed the Center to gain additional space without sacrificing the historical integrity of the site. The lower two stories feature offices, collaborative space, meeting rooms and a conference center surrounding an expansive, multi-purpose atrium. Great care was made to ensure an open and well-lit working environment. Multiple skylights and two-story light wells bring natural light to the lower levels and the three interior gardens. Though these levels will reflect familiar, western office style, the design and finishes will have subtle Chinese influences.