The renovation for the Children’s Art Education Center was completed in 2013 and the Center now consists of the exhibition room, the interaction area, the studio, the kinder zone and the outdoor courtyard, taking up 2000 square meters in total. The overall layout resembles an open paperclip, and the continuous transition in forms, including circling and folding, passing through one another, extending, rising and falling, redefines the independence and connection of each unique area. Besides the artistry in the spatial structure, furniture design and arrangement also deliver aesthetic tastes, which allows children to indirectly develop appreciation and acuity toward art under such environment. The renovation also blurs the boundary between the interior and exterior areas with the transparent glass walls inviting the city landscape along Zhongshan North Road into the building and a corridor penetrating the courtyard, which creates a more accessible and hospitable space for the audience.
The exhibition room holds one or two sessions of self-curated exhibitions or international exchange Educational Projects of special topics each year. The TFAM education staff act as the main curator and collaborate with artists on themes regarding contemporary art and architectural aesthetics. The Exhibition room not only showcases the original artworks but also determines the overall design of creation activities and interactive installations across the Interaction Area, the Studio and the Kinder Zone.
The Interaction Area serves as an affiliate zone of the Educational Projects where interactive installations and experience activities take place to allow the visitors to carry out hands-on operations and creations to further appreciate the artworks in the exhibition and better comprehend the artists’ statements and their way of expression. The outdoor courtyard would also hold events related to the project themes.
The Kinder Zone lies in the other end of the Children’s Art Education Center, which is designed for preschool children as well as small groups of young kids. The area remains open and spacious to serve various purposes. It could either work with the Educational Projects or open for independent use, such as storytelling, art exploration, performances, physical activities and film screening. At the back of the Kinder Zone are a restroom for parents with kids and a baby care room with multifunction and facilities to cater to various needs, which also aims to communicate everyday aesthetics and hospitality towards parents and children visitors alike.
The Studio is away from the rest of the working spaces, adjacent to the service desk, which is open to school groups during weekdays and individual visitors during weekends. The Studio hosts activities combining games and creation to lead audiences to experiment the possibilities of art in an adventurous way.
The service desk is at the main entrance of the Children’s Art Education Center, which also serves as the check-in counter and meeting point for tours and workshops. After TFAM’s re-opening in 2018, the service desk now works as the information center for the overall underground space in TFAM.