Kaohsiung Municipal Fongshan Junior High School｜Beacon Island

Fengshan Junior High School has long been committed to advancing Social Emotional Learning (SEL), using drama-based simulations and role-playing to transform abstract emotional concepts into tangible experiences. Through these immersive scenarios, students learn to recognize emotions, analyze conflicts, resolve interpersonal tensions, and cultivate essential skills in self-expression and social interaction—abilities increasingly vital in today’s complex sociocultural environment. However, the school lacked a dedicated space for performing arts instruction; teachers and students were limited to using a rhythm classroom tucked inside the activity center, where foot traffic disrupted concentration and spatial constraints further diminished the learning experience. To enhance instructional quality, the school sought to reimagine the setting and establish a dedicated “micro-theater classroom.”

Creating a Micro-Theater for Emotional Learning

Responding to the needs of performing arts–based SEL instruction, the design team redefined circulation and reorganized the space into a primary teaching area, a backstage preparation zone, and a storage room to ensure smoother lesson flow. The newly configured micro-theater environment supports students in internalizing emotional learning and transforming it into meaningful action and lived experience.

Finding Stability Through the Spatial Language of Emotional Flow

Inspired by the rhythm of ocean waves, the spatial design symbolizes the ebb and flow of human emotion. A monochromatic palette forms a neutral and inclusive environment: the deep black backdrop evokes the hidden currents of inner emotional turbulence, while the undulating white curved wall represents the outward expression of feelings, like foamy waves meeting the shore—dynamic and fluid. When students step onto the stage and embody the characters within each scenario, their expressions become visible and acknowledged, prompting reflection and personal growth. Curved forms and layered lighting effects enrich the sensory atmosphere, guiding students in recognizing and articulating emotions through nonverbal cues. This is not merely a teaching space, but a stage for self-exploration, where movement, voice, and sensory perception help students better understand themselves.

Through this ritualistic and immersive learning environment, the design aims to help students strengthen their emotional awareness through multisensory experience and develop the inner resilience needed to navigate the world with confidence.