Natatorium of Southeast University Sports Centre

Qi Zhou's Natatorium of Southeast University Sports Centre presents a striking rhythmic procession of parabolic concrete arches that sweep across the composition with the cadence of a musical phrase, their pointed Gothic-inflected profiles rising in serrated repetition against a pale cerulean sky washed with the soft luminosity of diffused daylight. The architectural facade employs a sophisticated interplay between the cool mineralite gray of the exposed concrete structural ribs and the warm terracotta orange of the clay tile roofing panels that cascade between each arch like draped fabric, creating a chromatic dialogue between industrial modernism and vernacular building traditions. The compositional structure follows a strong diagonal recession from the lower right toward the upper left, establishing dynamic depth through the progressive diminution of the repeated arch modules, while the organic intrusion of verdant foliage in the upper left corner provides naturalistic counterpoint to the geometric precision of the built form. Each arch terminates in an elegantly curved flourish at its base, a sculptural detail that softens the potentially austere structural expression and demonstrates refined attention to transitional moments where vertical meets horizontal. The fenestration system occupies the concave voids between arches with gridded glazing that catches ambient light, creating subtle tonal variations from reflective silver to shadowed charcoal within each bay. Textural contrast emerges between the smooth concrete surfaces bearing the subtle imprint of formwork, the striated pattern of the terracotta tiles, and the feathery softness of bamboo and broadleaf plantings in the foreground. The overall atmospheric register suggests serene monumentality tempered by biophilic sensitivity, evoking both the soaring aspirations of sacred architecture and the grounded functionality of athletic purpose.

The Natatorium of Southeast University is located on the Jiulonghu Campus. The design uses continuous arches to eliminate the sense of alienation from the volume, like a flower, woven together in 7 repeating forms. Fluid water, moving people and static buildings, gray concrete and blue water, sunlight refracted by louvers, and shadows formed by geometry, all of which stimulate a strong sense of place. The structure is in line with the mechanical requirements, and the facade uses a large area of glazing, which forms an interaction between behaviors and sights of the people inside and outside.