(Photo credit: the Yangtse Evening Post)

The second phase of the Duke Kunshan University campus is scheduled to open on August 13 in Suzhou City.

Construction of the expanded campus began in January 2020, with a total site area of approximately 190,000 square meters and a total floor area of 153,000 square meters.

Upon completion, the campus will triple the floor area of the first phase.

Phase 2 comprises 22 new buildings that house sports facilities, communal areas, 22 laboratories and 26 classrooms. The community center provides spaces for student organizations, stores, art galleries, cafes, restaurants, and clinics. The library's design resembles two stacked books and houses 280,000 books. The undergraduate student residence can accommodate up to 2,100 students, and up to 100 graduates can be housed in the apartments at graduate student center.

The second phase, designed by Perkins & Will, blends nature and architecture, and highlights the ethos and education values of its founding institutions, Duke University and Wuhan University, while evoking the classical Chinese water towns of Jiangnan.