Pure Semicircles designed by KTX archiLAB
As education increasingly transitions to digital platforms such as laptops and tablets, the role of the physical classroom is undergoing significant transformation. KTX archiLAB's design of Pure Semicircles in Osaka reflects this shift by positioning the cram school as a venue that prioritizes concentration, guidance, and occasional interaction. This approach aligns with a study culture in which students frequently engage in independent learning.
Situated on the fourth floor of a mixed-use building, the project’s layout is meticulously arranged to support independent modes of study. Perimeter counters enable students to position themselves next to windows, while a central island effectively introduces additional study spaces without creating a series of isolated booths. This configuration maintains a shared environment while affording each student a distinct sense of personal territory. The incorporation of greenery is executed with intentionality throughout the space. At the central island, plant life facilitates visual separation between seating arrangements while allowing for ample daylight and ventilation. In other areas, vegetation softens consultation spaces and the angled end of the classroom, thereby enhancing privacy through spatial distance and orientation.
The overall atmosphere of the classroom is deliberately subdued. White surfaces reflect and distribute light, while grey carpeting minimizes visual and acoustic distractions. Timber blinds serve to temper the expansive window line. This carefully considered setting fosters concentration without imposing an austere environment, allowing for natural elements to contribute to a calmer and more inviting character. The reception area establishes a distinctive visual identity. A semicircular reception desk integrates with a mirrored wall, creating the illusion of a complete circle and transforming the compact entry area into a memorable threshold. The use of rippled stainless steel extends this reflection above, while indirect lighting enhances the curvature, providing a sense of depth at the entrance.
This geometric motif recurs in the consultation room and the central study island, each instance serving a unique function. The curves facilitate movement, create spatial enclosure, and demarcate areas for conversation without the need for excessive partitions. This consistent form offers the school a cohesive identity while avoiding a merely decorative approach.
The consultation room’s proximity to the classroom ensures that support is readily available. Comfortable, facing sofas and a planted wall contribute to a relaxed setting for discussions among students, parents, and educators. The folded ceiling and concealed lighting impart a focused atmosphere within this compact room. Pure Semicircles exemplifies a broader educational trend in which classrooms are no longer centred around a singular instructional point. KTX archiLAB has successfully created a spatial framework that accommodates digital learning, fostering an environment in which independence and support coexist, featuring personal workstations, easily accessible consultation areas, and a shared atmosphere that remains serene, coherent, and interconnected.
PEGGY'S EDITOR'S NOTE (2026 Sky Design Awards Editorial Jury)
The design of Pure Semicircles exemplifies how to align spatial logic with contemporary educational practices. By emphasizing natural light, personalized workstations, and small consultation areas, the project effectively meets the needs of modern learning environments. The architectural style, characterized by rhythmic curves and carefully placed greenery, creates a harmonious connection between form and function. This project is a strong example of how a disciplined geometric design can enhance focus while also improving the overall human experience in a learning space.
EDITOR'S REVIEW
The project's advancement is the elimination of outdated classroom orientations. The incorporation of window-side counters and a central double-sided island establishes a more suitable environment for laptop-based learning. Furthermore, clearly defined pathways ensure that educators remain accessible without the necessity of a fixed front of the classroom.
The application of geometry is executed with precision. The mirrored semicircle enhances the entryway experience, the curved consultation ceiling fosters concentration, and the rounded study island promotes effective circulation. Each formal design element serves a distinct purpose, thereby preventing the concept from descending into an arbitrary arrangement.
The integration of greenery contributes to both privacy and ambiance. Plants effectively separate opposing seating configurations, delineate the angled end of the room, and provide a tranquil backdrop for the consultation area. This design exemplifies how vegetation can influence behaviour without enclosing students or compromising flexibility.
DRAWING AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS
The proposed design separates the school into three interconnected zones: an entrance area comprising a reception and administrative office, a consultation booth situated nearby, and two study rooms extending into the larger, angled floor plate. This configuration facilitates proximity between parent meetings and administrative functions while allowing the learning areas to promote greater concentration.
Seating arrangements in the study areas are organized along the perimeter and feature a long central counter. The window-side desks are strategically positioned to optimize natural daylight, whereas the central island incorporates dense planting to create a screen between opposing seats, thereby enhancing privacy within the shared space. Furthermore, the angled end of Study Room 2 adapts this seating arrangement to the building's unique irregular geometry.
The drawings also illustrate the diverse applications of semicircles throughout the project. In the reception area, a half-circle desk is complemented by a full-height mirror, producing the appearance of a complete circle. In the study area, the rounded central counter facilitates efficient circulation around a high-capacity work zone. Additionally, rippled stainless-steel ceiling panels enhance both designs through reflective qualities.
ORIGINAL DESIGNER SUBMISSION — VERBATIM
Pure Semicircles is a preparatory and cram school in Osaka, Japan. The institution focuses on creating a leaning space which stimulates student senses to help them dive into their lessons while still providing a cozy and relaxing environment.
During their junior high and high school years, most Japanese students attend preparatory and cram schools that helps them during the year to better prepare for their final exams. These schools offer programs that the students learn through laptops or electronic tablets. This implies that there is no need for a traditional classroom where the teacher is on a stage-like blackboard setting. As the school occupies a corner on the 4th floor of a mixed-use building, the individual desks are replaced by long counters along the windows. The middle of the room is also furnished with a long counter with seats on both sides and separated using greenery in the middle. The greenery secures some privacy for students and provides a more relaxing atmosphere. The white walls and ceiling offer a bright space that helps concentrating on the studies. Wooden blinds along the windows and the greenery in the space are set to counterbalance the brightness and create a cozy and relaxing atmosphere.
The reception space is a semicircle reflecting on a mirrored median wall to become a full circle. The ceiling is covered in a rippled stainless steel that extends the space further onto the third dimensions while being highlighted with a surrounding linear indirect light.
Between the reception and the classroom, there is a consultation space where students and their parents can discuss their studies with the pedagogists. This space follows the same aesthetics as two sofas face each other. The ceiling folds down in a quarter circle covering indirect lighting that highlights the greenery wall at the edge of the space.
KTX archiLAB is an architectural and interior design office based in Japan. Specialized in commercial and medical design, its portfolio includes a wide range of projects: Hospitality, retail, showrooms, offices, hospitals, clinics, and more. KTX archiLAB has received more than a hundred and sixty local and international awards for its projects conducted both in Japan and abroad.