Renewal Design of Art University Campuses Using Urban Image Theory: A Case Study on the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA)

Abstract

Since its inception, the theory of urban image cognition has become one of the most important theoretical frameworks in the field of urban planning and design. It emphasizes people’s subjective perception and cognition of the urban environment, and states that the city is not only a collection of material space but also a place with a specific meaning and image in people’s minds. This study explored the history and current situation of the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA) campus and analyzed six aspects based on urban image theory: road imagery characteristics, boundary imagery characteristics, node imagery characteristics, the imagery characteristics of landmarks, the imagery characteristics of buildings, and the imagery characteristics of regions. We then summarized its existing spatial layout, architectural features, and cultural elements. The researchers employed three methodologies—the investigation of historical archives, the field survey method, and a technique that combines cognitive mapping with questionnaire surveys—to assess the strengths and shortcomings of existing campuses regarding the urban image theory. These findings resulted in the concept for an extensive renewal design plan that integrates the cognitive principles of urban imagery. The strategies included the following: (1) optimizing the spatial structure to enhance the connectivity and visibility of the campus; (2) renovating and upgrading existing buildings to reflect the artistic characteristics of the HIFA; and (3) designing unique landscapes and public spaces to create a rich and vibrant campus atmosphere. At the same time, researchers and design teams carried out design practice projects for four sub-projects on the HIFA campus: Aesthetic Education Avenue, Long Scroll by the Lake, Nine-Curved Corridor Bridge, and Open Campus–Urban Life Plaza. Through a case study of the HIFA, this research aims to provide a valuable reference for the campus renewal of other art universities, and to promote the application and innovation of urban image theory in the field of campus planning and design. It ultimately emphasizes the importance of creating a campus environment that not only meets the functional needs of education and research, but also enriches urban cultural imagery and enhances the sense of identity and belonging in the campus community.

1. Introduction

1.1. Research Background

Since its inception, urban image theory has steered the direction of urban architecture, evolving into a research paradigm that has profoundly influenced the spatial planning and renewal of university campuses [1,2]. It has now become one of the most important theoretical frameworks in the field of urban planning and design. It emphasizes people’s subjective perception and cognitive approach to the urban environment, positing that the city is not just a collection of physical spaces, but also a place with a specific meaning and image in people’s minds [3]. The development of this theory stems from in-depth research on the relationship between human cognitive psychology and urban space, which aims to reveal how people construct and understand the form, structure, and characteristics of a city in their minds [4,5]. By studying urban imagery, researchers can better understand the personality, characteristics, and cultural connotations of the city, thereby providing a more humane and sustainable direction for the planning, design, and management of urban space [6,7]. Despite the extensive development of Chinese universities over a century ago, the rapid construction of university campuses in the past 20 years has significantly shaped their appearance in the contemporary context. The academician Wu Zhiqiang once described the characteristics of campus planning during this period as “overall planning, rapid prototyping”, “closed campus, clear zoning”, “unified style, lack of personality”, and “limited indicators, insufficient flexibility”, and performed a macro evaluation [8]. In previous research, we conducted a literature review and performed field visits, combining them with actual practice in a number of space renewal designs for university campuses. During this process, we compiled a list of common issues that often arise during the rapid planning and construction of campuses. We found that the expansion of campuses, the weak connection of space caused by functional zoning, the difficulties associated with organizing campus traffic and path finding, and the weak atmosphere of campus culture created in a short period of time are all related to the basic cognition of decision makers and designers regarding the image of campuses [9,10,11,12]. After 20 years of large-scale construction and development, China’s higher education sector has entered the popularization stage, and is currently being transformed via research-oriented, innovative, and differentiated development. University campuses, which serve as the physical spaces for university education, are thus also to be transformed via development [13,14]. On the one hand, the campus spaces built in the previous stage have exposed many problems, but on the other hand, they cannot be used in the development of education and do not meet the requirements for innovation. Therefore, both the observation and research of the renewal phenomenon that occurs on campuses and active renewal activities will become priorities for the future construction and development of campuses.

As an important institution for cultivating artistic talents and promoting cultural innovation, the campus of an art university has a unique status and role in the city [15,16]. In China, art universities are a special category. In the wave of large-scale campus construction that began in the late 1990s, most art universities also built new campuses. Similarly, of the eight most famous art universities in China, seven will have built new campuses by 2024. First of all, the campus of an art university is often an important center for the birth and dissemination of urban culture. The campus gathers a large number of artists, scholars, and students. Their creative activities and academic research inject rich cultural vitality into the city and promote the prosperity and development of urban culture. The cultural atmosphere of the campus will also have a radiating effect on the surrounding areas, driving the development of regional cultural industries and promoting the growth of the city’s cultural and creative economy [15,16]. Secondly, the campus of an art university is itself a work of art, and its architectural style, spatial layout, and landscape design are often of a high artistic value and aesthetic significance. Art universities usually focus on the artistic shaping of the campus environment and create a space that is full of creative atmosphere; this is often via the use of unique architectural forms, color matching, and landscape elements [17,18]. Due to their special attributes, the planning of art college campuses is also very different from that of ordinary comprehensive universities. In terms of their planning, spatial layout, architectural form, and landscape characteristics, they often dare to break conventions and pursue the creation of an artistic “paradise” that is very different from the urban space; this is often achieved using a “visual” feature. For example, famous campuses such as the Xiangshan Campus of the China Academy of Art, designed by Pritzker Prize winner Wang Shu, have been created. The landscape of these campuses not only provides teachers and students with a good learning and living environment, but it also creates a beautiful space in the city; this attracts many tourists and citizens to the area and enhances the city’s cultural flavor and image. Furthermore, the campus of an art university serves as a significant hub for urban social interaction and cultural exchange. Various art exhibitions, performances, academic lectures, and other activities held on campus attract people from different regions and backgrounds, promoting cultural exchange and integration. Cooperation and interaction between art universities and other urban institutions and communities are also becoming more frequent, with urban cultural construction projects and social welfare activities being jointly carried out, which has positively contributed to the harmonious social development of cities [19,20]. However, as time progresses and society evolves, many art university campuses are starting to require updated designs. In particular, these updated designs need to fully consider the peculiarities of art disciplines and the creative needs of teachers and students. People often pay attention to these “star campuses” due to their unique design or famous architect. But after a period of use, how do daily users actually perceive the campus? What is the specific learning and living experience? Has the architect’s intention for campus space planning been realized? These issues must be explored in targeted research and analysis.

1.2. Literature Review

Internationally, research concerning the planning and design of university campuses has mainly focused on the period after World War II. After the war, Western countries promoted the expansion of higher education and the construction of university campuses to meet the technical education needs of industrialized societies, leading to related research by architects and scholars [21,22]. Reviewing the Western literature on the planning and design of university campuses since the 1960s reveals that various individuals view university campuses from distinct perspectives [23]. One perspective is that of educational administrators and decision makers, who study the operation of universities as social institutions.

Researchers often interpret the needs of campuses and then attempt to plan and design university campuses in a scientific and rational manner. For example, the book The Postwar University: Utopianist Campus and College (2001) by the German scholar Stefan Muthesius, studies the construction of universities in Europe and the United States after World War II based on educational institutions, trends in social education, and communities [24]. The British sociologists Anthony Smith and Frank Webster discussed the key issues facing modern universities at the end of the last century in their book The Postmodern University (1996), particularly focusing on the changes and transformations in higher education [25]. This book serves as a significant reference for the transformations facing Chinese universities today. The second approach involves examining the physical environments of university campuses through the lenses of campus architectural planning, environmental aesthetics, and design art, all from the perspective of designers. Among the most important research in this field are the many important studies on campus planning published by American scholar Richard P. Dober, including Campus Planning [26], Campus Design [27], Campus Architecture: Building in the Groves of Academe [28], Campus Landscapes: Functions, Forms, Features [29], and Old Main: Fame, Fate, and Contributions to Campus Planning and Design [30]. These books detail Dober’s more than 40 years of theoretical research and practical work experience on campuses. It is important to note that Campus Planning, when combined with a university’s overall development plan, emphasizes that the goal of campus planning is not to create a rigid blueprint, but rather to create a flexible guideline for campus development. This approach emphasizes the planning and design process, suggesting that the campus should grow through logical and continuous construction. This idea directly guides the present study. The third objective of this study is to examine the planning and design of university campuses from the perspective of their users. Following the 1960s, the concept of participatory design gained prominence. American architectural theorist Christopher Alexander published The Oregon Experiment in 1975 [31], suggesting that the planning of campuses and similar communities should adhere to the following six principles: “organic order, participation, fragmented construction, model, diagnosis, and coordination”. The core concept of this theory is the transfer of power, regarding the design of houses, streets, and communities, from a select few experts to users; this theory therefore advocates for the transformation of the design process into a democratic one. This idea has had a profound impact on the subsequent design of campuses and even urban architectural design, and has promoted academic exploration and practical innovation in related fields. Since the 1960s, along with the overall shift in the field of urban design to “people, society, history, culture, and environment”, research on university planning and architectural design in European and American academia has generally shifted from focusing on tangible material forms, functions, flow lines, layouts, etc., to focusing on intangible spiritual and cultural aspects, such as humanism, community relations, and the spirit of spaces [32]. The scope of research has also shifted from planning, architecture, and art to cross-disciplinary research that is integrated with sociology, economics, psychology, and other disciplines. Following the Chinese economic reform, the development of Chinese universities bears many similarities to that of the West in the 1960s and 1970s. The resulting concepts related to campus planning and space design should therefore be considered by today’s designers and researchers.

Early urban design theories focusing on imagery appeared in the 1940s and 1950s. György Kepes (1944), a researcher at MIT, discussed related issues in his book Language of Vision [33]. Later, Kevin Lynch, Kepes’ student and collaborator at MIT, published The Image of the City in 1960; a book that introduced imagery from the field of psychology into urban research [34]. The Image of the City has had a profound impact on urban design and related research fields. This study employs the theory of urban imagery as its fundamental theory and methodology. At the end of the last century, urban image theory was introduced into China. The urban image theory, which serves as the theoretical basis for various types of urban space research, has endured and expanded beyond the field of urban architecture to encompass multiple disciplines such as literature, film, sociology, and history. The academic community has recognized urban image theory as a research paradigm, and it has found widespread application in the study of urban space across various scales, such as macro, meso, and micro. Among them, university campuses are medium-sized spaces of moderate scale, and involve intensive and frequent contact between the space and users. Therefore, the survey results obtained are more accurate and detailed [1,35]. For example, during the renovation of Nanjing Normal University’s Zijin Campus, the architects observed, recorded, and analyzed the existing buildings extensively, and conducted multi-dimensional evaluations of interior scenes and parks during the renovation. In order to respect the inherent character and order of the original campus, the architects finally chose the “organic micro-renewal” renovation strategy. The architects retained the emotional memory of the building and the city, and “micro-reshaped” the building from the perspectives of facade reorganization, traffic reorganization, and the modeling of the interior space, which enabled them to inject new vitality into this university campus and revive it in the new era. Furthermore, locations, particularly those with exceptional urban imagery, are essential in shaping an individual’s mental development and identity. University campuses are currently facing many developmental problems, which can also be mapped and reflected in the characteristics of a campus, or can be optimized and solved through image renewal. Therefore, the application of urban image theory to the study of university campuses is important for the planning and design of universities, and will enable researchers to address the demand for reform and development in China’s higher education sector, as evidenced by the research of past scholars.

Hu Zhengfan and Lin Yulian introduced urban image theory into the analysis of university campuses as early as the 1980s, in their book Environmental Psychology. In this book, they compared and analyzed the images of Tsinghua University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology [36]. This is also the earliest study on urban image in China, highlighting the significance of using university campuses as samples for image research. In their monograph entitled University Campus Planning and Architectural Design (1994), Song Zefang and Zhou Yihu combined the “five elements” with the elements of spatial form in the chapter on “Campus Space Form Planning”, in which they summarized the application of the “five elements” in the planning of campus spaces [37]. According to these authors, there should be a harmonious unity between the buildings and the environment and landscape on university campuses and there should be a harmonious relationship between the artificial environment and the landscape. The dynamic visual perception of people in the environment should also be considered, and the visual effects of various planning concepts should be considered from the perspective of people. After this, many scholars employed urban image theory in case studies of campuses. According to incomplete statistics, studies have involved more than 100 university campuses in China, with the research objects varying in focus and including overall campus planning, landscape, open space, and color. This type of research also constitutes an important basis for making comparisons between the samples used in these studies.

After sorting and summarizing this research, we found that it could be classified into the following three categories: (1) The first is research that uses image theory to study campus spaces and spans many eras. The overall purpose of this research is to evaluate the conditions of different campuses. Similar research paradigms have yielded varying results regarding campus images. Image theory is thus an effective theoretical tool for research on campus design. (2) The second is research from the perspective of research methods, cognitive mapping, questionnaires, and interviews, which remain the research methods most widely used in image theory. As the focus of research on urban images shifts from physical spaces to the interaction between virtual and real spaces, research on campus space images has also been influenced by digital technology and the collection and analysis of big data. For instance, the use of image recognition, the collection of image data using the internet, and new statistical data analysis tools serve as effective supplements to the tools used in image research. (3) The third is research that expands on the use of images, focusing on the differences in the perception that various individuals have of the campus and observing the “flow of image” during the development of the campus. This type of research is relatively rare. At present, research on campus image also focuses on the problem of differentiated classification, and the classification methods are mainly focused on gender, age, and identity (primarily focusing on the identity of current campus users). Despite this, the application of urban image theory as a practical basis for the renewal of art university campuses is still relatively understudied. Based on the guidance of urban image theory, researchers are now aiming to create a unique campus image during campus renewal, enhance the cultural connotation and recognizability of the campus, and enrich the application of urban image theory in the field of campus design.

1.3. Research Gap and Objectives

From the literature review above, it is clear that Kevin Lynch initially selected three cities to use as samples in his urban image research. With the continuous development of this theory, the number of samples with different spatial scales has also increased, now including a large number of campus samples. Compared with macro-scale urban spaces, the population density of medium-scale university campuses is relatively high, and campus residents’ perception of the environment is more comprehensive than that of large-scale urban spaces. In addition, the images are richer and more detailed. The design of art university campuses, which has received less attention and refers to a specific type of space, can further expand this theory. This expansion is mainly related to two aspects: (1) Since Lynch proposed urban image theory in the 1960s, the research paradigm formed in the following decades has placed more emphasis on investigating the consensus regarding image cognition that was obtained during the same time period. This study assesses the medium-scale space of a university campus, where the overall population base is relatively small, and the relationship between the researcher and the interviewees is relatively familiar. Therefore, in this research, we focus on determining the differences in image cognition exhibited by individuals in different positions, and with different perspectives related to design. (2) When Lynch constructed his urban image theory, it was mainly based on people’s recognition of the layout of physical urban spaces. To a certain extent, he ignored the impact of urban social and cultural factors on image cognition. This has also become a problem for some scholars when using the theory, and become its main limitation. In the survey conducted in this study, the questionnaire was consciously supplemented with content such as knowledge of campus culture, learning and life experience, and it also paid more attention to the deeper interactive relationship between the space of the campus and users.

This design study is a response to the actual needs of the renewal project, whose main goal is to renew the Canglong Island Campus of the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA). Given that the campus has undergone a ten-year use cycle and its general planning has recently been revised, we propose several solutions that address some typical campus problems with the aim of optimizing users’ perception of its image. In this context, the design team combined individuals’ direct experience of university life and learning, hoping that the revision plan would compensate for the university’s insufficient response to issues concerning the daily use of space on campus. In the process of implementation, a relatively comprehensive and systematic study of the campus was conducted, and multiple individuals involved in the renewal of the campus were met with and surveyed. This enabled us to address typical problems and propose a design “prototype” that could represent these issues, be discussed, and be used as a reference for optimizing the users’ perception of the campus image. The design “prototype” positively influenced the subsequent campus renewal plan and is reflected in the final built project. Furthermore, the project team leveraged the various disciplines studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, including environmental art, public art, sculpture, experimental art, painting, and visual art, to reshape the public space of the campus. They emphasized the space as a “medium” for artistic expression in the design plan, thereby creating a “stage” for various forms of artistic expression.

2. Study Area and Methods

2.1. Study Area

This research focused on the Canglong Island Campus of the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts. The Hubei Institute of Fine Arts’ Canglong Island Campus is located on Canglong Island Street, Economic Development Zone, Jiangxia District, Wuhan City (Figure 1). The campus covers an area of 700 mu (about 466,666.69 m²) and has a construction area of 230,000 m². The campus became operational in 2008. It is adjacent to Limiao Road in the east and Tangxun Lake, Asia’s largest urban lake, in the west. The topography of the campus features three natural mounds and two depressions. The site is shaped like a vertical strip, and is approximately 400 m wide and 1600 m long. The urban lake connects to the depression on the south side of the site.

2.1.1. Historical Nodes of Campus Renewal

The predecessor of the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts was the Private Wuchang Art College, founded in 1920. In 1949, Wuchang Art School was merged into Zhongyuan University, and later merged into the Hubei Institute of Education and Central China Normal University. In 1977, the original name of the university was restored, returning to the Hubei Institute of Arts, and the university was divided into two departments: fine arts and music. In 1985, with the approval of the National Education Commission, the Fine Arts Branch established an independent college and named it “Hubei Institute of Fine Arts”. When the university was established in May 1985, it had an area of only 21 mu (13,986 m²). Including the newly completed No. 3 teaching building (6153.59 m²), the university buildings covered an area of only 8739 m². When HIFA submitted its first Report on the School Building and Land Issue to the Hubei Provincial Government in 1986, the per capita land use of the university was approximately 0.038 mu. Since then, as the provincial education committee has allocated greater enrollment quotas to the college, its per capita land use has further decreased. From a document sent to the army in April 1987 requesting the return of HIFA’s land, it is clear that at that time, the per capita land use of HIFA was only 0.025 mu (16.65 m²), a decrease of 0.013 mu. According to the national standard, the per capita land use for higher art colleges is 0.1424 mu; however, the per capita land use of HIFA was only 17.56% of this standard and was therefore seriously depleted. In 1986, more than 520 teachers and students in the college were squeezed into this small plot of land. The university had to rent venues for physical education classes and use teaching and office rooms as dormitories for students and faculty. Despite this, the fundamental problem could not be solved, and the university was forced to rent thousands of square meters of building space to alleviate this housing shortage and the difficulties associated with teaching [38]. In the 21st century, with an increase in the scale of teaching, the shortage of teaching space has limited the development of HIFA. Since the 1990s, the urgent need for artistic talent across the country and the historical opportunity to expand the cultivation of artistic talents have highlighted the contradiction between HIFA’s desire for development and the embarrassing reality. Therefore, unified planning and phased transformation have become a top priority in campus construction.

In 2020, the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts celebrated its centennial. Before 2008, the old campus was located in Wuchang Tun Hualin, which is both a historical district and the city’s core area. Later, due to a lack of space for the expansion of university operations, it was moved to the Canglong Island campus in Jiangxia. However, because the new campus was planned and constructed in a short period of time, there was insufficient financial investment, and a lack of consensus regarding the implementation of planning concepts. Therefore, the campus encountered many problems within ten years of its construction, and even remained unfinished for a long time. In 2021, the university launched a new round of revisions, leveraging its 100th anniversary in 2020 as an opportunity. The new university leadership team took office in 2022, and are planning to improve the construction of the campus within five years and carry out its first large-scale renewal (Figure 2).

2.1.2. Analysis of Upper-Level Planning

This study attempts to interpret the factors that inform perceptions of the campus from the perspective of different individuals involved in campus planning and construction. The superior planning reflects the urban planning management department’s intention for the urban area in which the campus is located. The “Wuhan Land and Space Master Plan” controls the land of the campus project as a permitted construction area, situated within the ecological development boundary. The “Jiangxia District Zoning Plan (2018–2035)” regulates the project land as ecological college land. The “Wuhan 1:2000 Basic Ecological Control Line Plan” controls the project land as an ecological development zone. With the expansion of the city, the 47.6 square kilometer Tangxun Lake has become the largest lake in Wuhan, outsizing the East Lake. In 2012, the Wuhan Municipal Government and the Jiangxia District Government completed the “Three Lines and One Road” Protection Plan for Tangxun Lake, and used GPS positioning to set boundary stakes and other methods to protect the “blue line” (water control line) of the lakeshore of Tangxun Lake. In addition, the “green line” (green control line) of the greening area and the “gray line” (building control line) of the construction control line were delineated to preserve the lake shoreline. In order to prevent the lake from being enclosed and the boundary stakes from being “evaporated”, the government departments at that time conducted many field surveys and finally proposed that each lake must build a ring road to expose the lakeshore to the sun and truly “return the lake to the people”. According to the plan of the Wuhan Municipal Government, on the basis of ecological protection, Tangxun Lake will evolve into an ecological residential area, with non-industrial development such as tourism, residential buildings, a university, and a science and technology park. The “Three Lines and One Road” Protection Plan for Tangxun Lake regulates the project land as a gray line area (Figure 3). New construction should focus on the sharing of the area near the water and the creation of open space around the lake. According to preliminary research on the river and lake boundary in Wuhan, the project site is approximately 14 m away from the ecological waterline of Tangxun Lake, and is not associated with the control requirements of the ecological waterline.

The project site is part of HIFA’s ecological land, and thus has a specific purpose. Planning should prioritize the protection of the ecological environment, while also leveraging the educational and scientific features of the college’s property. In terms of landscape, the project site is located in the first-line lake area. Subsequent planning should strengthen the control and guidance regarding the construction of new buildings near the lake, control the lake view corridor, and strengthen the character of the landscape near the lake.

2.1.3. Existing Planning Schemes and Existing Problems

In 2021, HIFA prepared the “2021 HIFA Campus Master Plan Revision” (adjusted version of the campus master plan design), which addressed various problems in the campus that had existed for more than ten years. Because the early planning and construction of HIFA’s campus was undertaken in a short time, many different design departments were involved, and the uses of the buildings on campus changed rather drastically. The latest revision has further clarified the concept of early planning, primarily manifesting in the following aspects:

(1) The spatial structure consists of a single axis, two rings, three cores, and four zones. “One axis” refers to the public vitality aggregation axis of the campus. The campus’s existing central water system serves as the foundation for the construction of an east–west green ecological corridor, which connects the city, the main entrance of the campus, the campus public art center, and Tangxun Lake. This corridor serves as the public vitality aggregation axis of the campus, linking various functions in series and forming an organic whole. “Double rings” refers to the construction of an inner ring, which includes the shared ecological landscape in the center, and an outer ring, which includes space for traffic and the exchange of ideas. The campus separates pedestrians and vehicles, with two major traffic rings; the outer ring line is for motor vehicles and the inner ring line is for pedestrians. A shared ring is built around the central ecological water system, where ecology and the humanities are integrated and shared. “Three cores” refers to the image display center, the central ecological exchange center, and the ecological landscape center. “Four zones” refers to the administrative area, teaching area, sports area, and living area (Figure 4).

(2) Functional zoning: The functional layout of the campus is divided into six major areas: the administrative office area, public cultural area, teaching and research area, central ecological area, sports and leisure area, and dormitory living area (Figure 4).

(3) The transportation system prioritizes people and adopts a design that separates pedestrians and vehicles. The outer ring of the campus is a road for motor vehicles, and the inner ring of each functional zone is the main traffic route for pedestrians (Figure 5).

(4) Architectural style guidelines. (a) Architectural color: New buildings should adopt a modern style, with light yellow, bright gray, and white as the base colors and dark red and cold gray as the decorative colors in some parts. These colors should be consistent with the style of existing buildings on campus. (b) Building volume: Buildings facing the lake should be small and have a decentralized layout to maintain the sense that the landscape facing the lake is transparent. Structures facing Limiao Road should form a symbolic image of the campus.

During the initial phase of the project, the research team analyzed the contents of the aforementioned revision plan, integrated it with field research on the campus’s current state, and conducted interviews with designers. This allowed the research team to determine which features of the campus the designers thought important, and these were primarily reflected in the following: (1) The campus’s natural landscape image stands out prominently. The campus maintains its proximity to the lake and preserves the lake and hills from the original site. The buildings on campus are integrated into nature as a whole, adhering to the relevant ecological protection requirements. (2) The original planning and design of the campus attempted to establish an axis and grid structure, but due to the conditions of the site, the axis and grid images were not prominent. A curved main road and several auxiliary roads diverge from the main road, conferring on the campus a fishbone shape. These roads connect the main buildings and functional areas of the campus, forming relatively distinct “front and back yards” (courtyards in front of and behind the buildings). The functions of the front yards are mainly teaching and administration, while the areas from the canteen in the middle to the back are primarily used for day-to-day activities and sports. The campus distributes the buildings linearly and flexibly, adhering to the traditional concept of zoning. The site’s narrowness, length, and numerous constraints prevent the establishment of a clear hierarchy. (3) The road structure of the campus is relatively simple, with a main road running through it. The campus’s main road and the small lake in its center serve as the primary visual elements of the campus.

2.2. Research Methods and Process

This study aims to conduct campus research using the humanistic perspective of urban image theory and related research methods. The core aim of this project is to experiment with a bottom-up campus renewal mechanism that involves multiple subjects and enables various parties to state their opinions. The current renewal of urban and campus spaces recognizes this concept, and many universities reflect it in their campus renewal practices. For instance, architects at Peking University established the student organization “Yanyuan Construction Society” to conduct surveys among faculty and students, focusing on the impact of the campus space on its users’ daily lives. This led to the clarification of design tasks and the continuous establishment of campus renewal projects, such as “Wanliu Apartment Rainwater Garden”, “Optimizing Accessible Facilities for Campus Buildings”, and “Sketch Café”. The development process and methods implemented in this research were similar to those employed in this study. Campus renewal, from the perspective of campus users, has become an increasingly popular area of research. Tsinghua University, Wuhan University, South China University of Technology, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, and other universities have established teacher–student organizations similar to the “Yanyuan Construction Society” that promote campus renewal, which have thus become an important component in the next stage of campus renewal in Chinese universities.

Therefore, this study primarily employs two methods: (1) the analysis of historical archives (literature review) and (2) a field investigation using a method that integrates cognitive mapping and questionnaire surveys. At the start of the campus renewal project, we conducted a campus image survey, combining questionnaires with interviews, cognitive maps, and other methods to collect users’ opinions about the campus (Figure 6).

(1) Analysis of historical archives. This stage of the research focused on the university’s history, yearbooks, information about campus planning and design, drawings, images, news, oral information, and other literature related to the development of HIFA. This research focused on the following two aspects of the literature: First, by considering both historical documents and the current situation of the campus, an understanding of the campus’s construction, development, and spatial evolution was obtained, as well as an understanding of the basic laws of renewal and change on the campus, which especially provided insights into changes in users’ perception of the campus at different stages. Secondly, by conducting research on the history of university development, the researchers were able to identify and uncover significant cultural resources that the university had accumulated. This provided valuable reference points and materials for incorporating the history of the campus into the new design.

(2) The field investigation employed a method that combined cognitive mapping and questionnaire surveys. First, the researchers evaluated the current physical space of the project site and obtained a detailed three-dimensional understanding of the campus through visits, the collection of images, surveys of important nodes, and drawings of campus models. Before conducting a large-scale survey, the research team gained experience in investigating the campus life of the sample. We predicted the characteristics of the campus based on our own familiarity with the campus, and distributed a small-scale questionnaire to people who were familiar with it. This resulted in a survey with preliminary characteristics, and from this we launched a larger-scale survey to determine which aspects the differences between more samples would be reflected in. Then, once the campus had been updated, the research team distributed questionnaires and interviewed campus “residents” about related issues. The research then helped a certain number of respondents to draw cognitive maps of the campus. During the survey, the researchers guided the respondents to draw pictures, so that the sketches reflected the respondents’ perception of the campus as much as possible. Upon evaluating and counting the recovered cognitive maps, we first classified and “labeled” all the campus features reflected in the maps. Second, we counted the number of times each feature label was mentioned on the maps (i.e., if an element label appeared once on a map, we counted it as 1). Third, we marked the original campus map with depth and transparency based on the number of times each feature label was mentioned, highlighting the hot spots and blank parts of the campus image. The accumulated information, such as the number of times various features were mentioned on the maps drawn, was statistically analyzed and further clarified and supplemented, by combining the information obtained in the questionnaire and interviews. The information was then converted into a visual cognitive map to intuitively express the imageable characteristics and patterns of the space. Simultaneously, the questionnaire’s questions follow a clear path, primarily encompassing various aspects of the respondents’ daily life on campus, with the goal of identifying any phenomena or potential issues within the campus space (refer to Appendix A for the content of the questionnaire).

At the beginning of the project, the researchers had a relatively clear understanding of the distribution of people in different functional spaces on campus. The dispersion of buildings with different functions on the HIFA campus inevitably affected the respondents’ perception of the campus, due to their range of daily activities. We consciously distributed questionnaires proportionally to teachers and students in different functional areas, in order to select the survey population, thereby reducing the influence of a specific area on the survey results. Given that the student accommodation for HIFA is distributed across two dormitory buildings of a similar size in the north and south of the campus, and learning and creative activities are distributed across 13 teaching buildings in the campus teaching area according to discipline, it could be assumed that the students’ perception of the campus is easily affected by their accommodation and study locations. Therefore, it was crucial to select interviewees without focusing on a specific major or accommodation area, to prevent their daily habits from influencing the statistical results or compromising their universality.

We conducted the questionnaire from 1 March to 2 March 2023. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Hubei University of Technology reviewed and approved the studies involving human subjects. The participant’s legal guardian or next of kin provided written informed consent for this study before the questionnaire was completed (the approval number is 2023-101). A total of five people from the research and design team were involved in distributing the questionnaire. The HIFA campus hosted a total of 14 questionnaire distribution locations (Figure 7). These included 11 teaching buildings for various departments and disciplines; graduate and undergraduate dormitory buildings; and campus administrative buildings.

3. Results

3.1. Campus Imagery Research Based on the User’s Perspective

3.1.1. Questionnaire Survey and Interview Results

The research team had a basic understanding of the spatial structure of the campus. Given that HIFA students live in two dormitory areas of equal size in the north and south, and that classes and creative activities are held in 13 buildings in the teaching area, it was assumed that the respondents’ perception of the campus image would be affected by the areas in which they live and study. We prevented the statistical data from being too biased towards one dormitory area by extracting the average number of students from different grades and majors. The sample population also included a small number of teachers who had worked on campus for more than two years. We distributed a total of 210 questionnaires, collected 182 of them, and identified 175 valid complete questionnaires, resulting in an effective rate of 96.15%. Among the respondents to the valid questionnaires, there were 123 undergraduates, accounting for 70%; 41 graduate students, accounting for 23%; 8 faculty members, accounting for 5%; and 3 other personnel (including 2 graduates and 1 visitor living in the surrounding area), accounting for 2%. Students, both undergraduates and graduate students, made up 93% of the respondents. The difference in the number of students interviewed across 11 departments was 2.809, as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 below, and the distribution of various professional disciplines was relatively even.

Different features contribute to the comprehensive image of the campus. Based on the specific positioning of these features on the campus, a brief interview was conducted, which mainly asked the interviewees to describe the most impressive part of the HIFA campus based on their own experience, and this could be praised or criticized. Ultimately, we interviewed 20 people and have repeated some of their expressions. Figure 10 displays the relevant content of the interviews conducted.

3.1.2. Imagery Map Survey Results

The research team asked the selected HIFA students and teachers to quickly draw a sketch of the HIFA campus according to the legend, without referring to any navigation or map data. The researchers then asked them to mark some of the key features of the campus, such as their five most frequently visited places and the must-see places for taking graduation photos in the future. Ultimately, the research team collected 45 valid cognitive maps, with an efficiency of 93.33%. Finally, we formed a cognitive feature map of the campus (Figure 11) through the arrangement of cognitive maps and the confirmation of information obtained in the questionnaire. The characteristics of each feature of the campus are as follows, in order of priority:

(1) Road imagery characteristics. The main road, which “runs through the entire campus”, was the road feature most frequently mentioned in the participants’ cognitive imagery of the campus. It connects multiple areas such as administration, teaching, sports, life, and ecology, forming a curved “campus axis”. The road on the south side of the campus, second only to the main road, connects five art teaching buildings, creating a “secondary axis” based on the subject classification. Most of the other roads branch off from the main road and are short in distance. They were mentioned with moderate frequency and were perceived as passages from the main road to various functional buildings.

(2) Boundary imagery characteristics. Since the main road runs through the entire campus, it also constitutes the most important feature of the campus boundary. The tall and dense trees lining the street, the building facades facing the road, the lakeshore, the mountain, and the walls constitute the main boundaries of the campus. The walls and fences at the campus–city boundary are narrow and continuous, and were mentioned relatively frequently.

(3) Node imagery characteristics. The central lake serves as the focal point of the campus. The second most important features are the two large natural green spaces at the entrance to the campus, as well as the back garden facing the lake. The canteen, located at the intersection of multiple roads on campus, serves as a gathering place for a large number of people. It is also an important node because of its functions as a dining and shopping complex. The front garden’s intersection of teaching buildings and the main road forms several relatively clear node spaces.

(4) Imagery characteristics of landmarks. The HIFA campus is home to a wide variety of public art sculptures, which have become significant landmarks in the realm of imagery cognition. The size of the university gate at the main entrance and the old university gate of Wuchang Art College (restored in a different location) at the south gate makes them the most significant landmarks. Among the various types of landmarks, there are no architectural landmarks.

(5) Imagery characteristics of buildings. The canteen and the administrative building at the entrance to the campus were the buildings mentioned most frequently, the comprehensive teaching building was the building mentioned the second most frequently, and the teaching buildings of each college were mentioned a similar number of times. It is clear that the main factors that affect individuals’ cognizance of buildings are location and function, and that there is a lack of iconic buildings with outstanding features on campus.

(6) Imagery characteristics of regions. The campus’s regional image is primarily derived from similar building groups. Two groups of similar design buildings and art buildings, with five buildings in each group, extend continuously, forming the imagery of the front yard of the campus. Two groups of similar dormitory buildings form the regional imagery of the backyard dormitory area.

3.1.3. Summary of the Features of the Campus Imaging Survey

Based on the synthesis of the above survey results, it can be inferred that the HIFA campus, as an art campus with an unconventional campus planning model, has relatively prominent imagery characteristics, and problems that coexist and contradict each other (

Table 1. Characteristics of the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts campus imagery survey.

Typical Imagery Features	Corresponding Problems	Design Strategies and Solutions
“Mountains, forests, waterfronts, and natural wildness” reflects the campus’s exceptional natural ecological environment.	(1) The campus’s natural imagery and built elements are not well integrated, and the local area has a strong sense of desolation. (2) The contrast between the texture of the campus and the surrounding city is obvious. As a campus deeply integrated into the city, it overemphasizes the natural imagery and ignores the urbanity.	Shaping the lakeside landscape.
“The roads are clear and consistent” indicates that the traffic planning on campus is very clear and has strong directionality.	The hierarchy of road imagery is weak, and roads have few complex functions besides traffic.	Add infrastructure in difficult-to-pass areas to enhance the accessibility of nodes; increase the functions of infrastructure to enrich the experience of passing and staying at nodes.
“Hidden in the woods, quiet and private” reflects the strong independence of the campus buildings and the strong sense of identity between the buildings and the surroundings.	(1) The buildings are surrounded by tall and dense trees, the building units are relatively close, the architectural image is too hidden, and the building groups and units are close. (2) The external space of the campus has a low activity level and lacks sociality.	Connecting the paths using covered bridges.
“Clear divisions, each has its own responsibilities” indicates that the overall divisions of the campus and the functional image of each group are relatively clear.	According to the concept of cross-disciplinary education and the trend of using campus design to emphasize spatial ambiguity, the integration of various regions is relatively low.	Create a regional image, enrich regional functions, and optimize individuals’ quality of life in the region; enhance the richness of regional culture and enhance people’s sense of identity within the region.
Art is HIFA’s dominant subject, and the campus is full of sculptures, installations, and other artworks.	The artworks on campus lack spatial organization and are scattered; there is a lack of landmarks that can condense campus culture.	Add landmark buildings and public sculptures.

Source: author statistics.

). Specific improvement strategies are outlined in Section 3.2, and a specific analysis of the transformational design is presented in Section 4.

3.2. Campus Planning and Design Strategies

3.2.1. Planning and Design Improvement Objectives

The following four points summarize the goals of the campus renewal design, which are based on a thorough assessment of the campus’s existing spatial resources, an analysis of its imagery characteristics, a response to the campus’s current issues, and the expectations of various stakeholders for future development: (1) Establish a “network” encompassing the humanities and history. Create and fortify visual components that can effectively convey the historical context of the campus. (2) Establish a communal “park”. Open up the campus’s natural and cultural resources to urban residents. (3) Create a three-dimensional learning and living “community”. Integrate the living resources from the university’s city to improve users’ daily quality of life on campus. (4) Build an open-air curiosity “museum”. Utilize existing natural, cultural, and artistic resources, strengthen the characteristics of the area, and enhance the vitality of the campus space (Figure 12).

3.2.2. Design Principles for Campus Imagery Renewal

We propose four principles for this renewal design, considering the vision and goals of the campus renewal design, as well as the assessment of the available resources. (1) The relationship between the old and the new: The renewal design should fully evaluate the existing material and cultural resources of the campus, and the design should focus on the continuity and sustainability of the old campus and old buildings. (2) Balanced investment: The renewal design should focus on the structural balance of the project’s overall investment and try to use lightweight, economical, and low-budget methods and means. This is in order to optimize the impact of altering the campus’s cognitive imagery. (3) Limited creation: Instead of focusing solely on transformation, the renewal design should aim to engender positive changes within a limited range of investment and benefits, while also striving to create certain additional benefits. (4) Simple and flexible: The renewal design should adhere to the principle of flexibility, utilizing relatively simple and flexible methods that are adaptable, reversible, and ecologically sustainable in the long run.

3.2.3. Key Issues to Be Solved by the New Design

The main road running through the HIFA campus is the most prominent element, as revealed by the summary and sorting of campus image elements. Because this study focused on changing the imagery most associated with the campus, identifying the most critical features for the implementation of the design could result in the most obvious changes. This narrows down the focus of the renewal design to “One Road”. Using “One Road” as a guide, the incorporation of the campus’s context into the design can be considered. How can we improve the connections between different units? How can we create more spaces that are worth exploring? How can we strike a balance between the growth of the city and the campus? (Figure 13).

3.2.4. Strategies for Renovating and Rebuilding

Based on the spatial characteristics of various elements in the campus image survey, we suggest that the campus is developed around “One Road”, and that specific methods and strategies are developed to improve campus image cognition, using the image elements as the fundamental framework. These strategies are as follows: (1) enhance the road’s functional facilities to improve users’ walking experience; (2) improve the type of boundary used to create strong and weak/open and close changes, thereby enhancing the road’s image; (3) strengthen the road connecting the nodes to enhance the linkage between regions; (4) renew key buildings, create landmark buildings with minimal intervention, and preserve the characteristics of the campus; and (5) open the campus boundary to enhance the use of the road via university–city integration.

3.2.5. Design Method for Modifying Campus Imagery

This project implements the updating design method for changing regional imagery, which follows the basic path of “element updating means type extraction, type combination, type conversion, situational experiment, and a feasibility plan” (Figure 14).

During the conversion and reorganization of various elements during campus renewal, the structure of the space remains essentially similar or unchanged, resulting in changes that are optimized and coordinated. First, we evaluated and limited the actual conditions and resources available for the renewal of the campus, adhering to the principles and ideas of the aforementioned renewal design. Secondly, we categorized, restricted, and classified the architectural tools capable of enhancing users’ cognition of imagery under restricted conditions. Thirdly, the types were combined based on the actual problems to be solved, and the anticipated changes in campus imagery were imagined. The design process also involved a combination of experiments, resulting in the creation of “prototypes” and “demos” that illustrate the results. Finally, the combination model was brought to the actual site for a detailed evaluation of the design and scheme (Figure 15).

According to the above method, which adheres to the renewal design principle of “limited creation, simplicity, and flexibility”, the change in campus imagery is influenced by low-involvement renewal and transformational design. The final plan and related processes and feedback are also important databases for the model of the research results.

4. Discussion: HIFA Campus Design Practice

In art universities in China, disciplines such as architectural design, environmental art, sculpture, and public art are often established, which means that the design of a campus can be completed by relying on the lecturers and students of the university. In fact, the university’s lecturers designed the original HIFA campus, which is the subject of this study. Faculty and students have continuously transformed and updated the campus over its many years of operation. The campus space can therefore serve as a genuine “testing ground” for various university majors, and it can also serve as a focal point for design and artistic creation. The renewal design further integrates this concept into the disciplines’ operation and development, opening up a platform for lecturers and students from various disciplines to propose plans for the revitalization of the campus from diverse professional perspectives. Thus, we have completed the campus renewal project and integrated it into teaching, creation, practice, and daily life to enhance the vitality of the campus. Drawing from the aforementioned investigation, analysis, inference, and method, and in order to not alter the “2021 Version of the Master Plan Revision”, the research team has proposed an update and transformation plan that aims to optimize users’ cognition of campus imagery. Under the theme “One Road”, the research team summarizes it into four specific renewal sub-projects, with “Aesthetic Education Avenue”, “Long Scroll by the Lake”, “Nine-Curved Corridor Bridge”, and “Open Campus–Urban Life Plaza” being used as sub-themes. The design plan integrates concepts and methods such as public art, conceptual art, and visual design, which are all based on architectural principles. Simultaneously, considering the ability of relevant majors in various disciplines within art colleges and universities to transform the campus space, the campus renewal initiative integrates the resources of art and design majors to foster the co-creation and co-construction of the campus environment (Figure 16).

4.1. Project 1: Aesthetic Education Avenue

4.1.1. Analysis of the Current Site Status

Project 1′s site location is the entrance space in front of the university, as well as the starting point of “a road”. The primary components of the current image are the university gate (node, landmark), the boundary of the building facade, the straight road, the green space (natural landscape), the green space boundary, and the intersection node. Some years ago, Mr. Cai Yuanpei himself wrote the calligraphy scroll “Promoting Aesthetic Education” for the predecessor of HIFA, Wuchang Art School, inspiring the name “Aesthetic Education Avenue”. Mr. Cai Yuanpei is the founder of modern education in China. He once proposed the idea of replacing religion with aesthetic education. “Promoting aesthetic education” has also been the university’s mission for a hundred years and is a core aspect of its campus culture. The front section of Aesthetic Education Avenue, from the university gate to the teaching building, currently only provides a route for traffic, and lacks the image and cultural identity that the front area of the university should have. The site is currently plagued by the following issues:

(1) The main entrance’s spatial sequence is poor, and the university gate and buildings lack symbolism and recognizable features. (2) The entrance administration building’s architectural style differs significantly from that of the campus buildings. The image of the building blocks is simple, and the entrance to the building is not immediately obvious. (3) The road from the administration building to the teaching area changes from straight to curved, and the sight line changes from open to narrow, resulting in a lack of meaningful transition nodes. It can be concluded that the road imagery of the campus entrance is characterized by a lack of enclosure, a lack of reasons to stay, and a lack of cultural elements (Figure 17).

4.1.2. Design Concepts and Specific Measures

The main campus entrance and the area in front of the university are the project’s initial locations. This serves as a transition node, bridging the gap between the interior and exterior of the university campus. Because there are no image or cultural elements, this section of the road has evolved into an everyday space that primarily focuses on traffic functions. The renewal design concept for this feature aims to transform the featureless “everyday road” into a university space featuring a commemorative image. This transformation will be achieved through a combination of road, boundary, and node transformation methods, while also incorporating the core cultural attribute of “promoting aesthetic education” (Figure 18 and Figure 19).

(1) Measure 1 involves rounding and widening the straight road. The 220 m road at the campus’s main entrance is the only straight road on the campus, and it also boasts the most open view. However, the construction of a roadside parking lot and the abrupt narrowing of the road in the central area have had an impact on the open view at the campus’s main entrance. Given that the main entrance represents the campus’s urban image, we plan to widen and straighten the main road, while adjusting the spacing and height of the greenery to create a solemn and commemorative image.

(2) Measure 2 involves expanding the space and renovating the facade, with the image of the administrative building undergoing a transformation. The renovation of the building facade draws inspiration from the atmosphere and characteristics of the entrance to the old campus of the Academy of Fine Arts. The renovation extracts and integrates the historical architectural elements of the old campus, thus reflecting the inheritance of the campus culture. In order to ensure that the internal structure is not altered, the renovation incorporates a semi-enclosed “outer shell” outside the existing building, which serves as a large-scale public art installation. This addition shapes the visual characteristics of the outer corridor. The construction of a pointed glass translucent entrance space, in conjunction with the existing building’s sloping roof, creates a primary and secondary sequence, which resolves the issues associated with the current building’s hidden and unclear entrance.

(3) Measure 3 involves adjusting the function of the building and creating a landmark. The original structure was an administrative building. In addition to the campus’s main administrative office functions, it also integrates the functions of the university’s history museum and archives. However, the current use of the building does not emphasize these functions. The revitalization of the building’s image also reinforces its characteristics, emphasizing the campus’s history and enhancing the landmark significance of the “main building”.

(4) Measure 4 involves the construction and nurturing of culture. The first intersection of the main road on campus leads to the two buildings for teaching art and design on the left and right. At present, there is a lack of sequential transition space. The renewal design creates a node that can carry and nurture campus culture in the triangular area where the road forks. The design strengthens the buildings and landscapes on both sides of the road, imbuing them with a commemorative image. On the other hand, the design incorporates a small square node at the intersection of the road, where a statue of Mr. Cai Yuanpei stands, reinforcing the Academy of Fine Arts’ historical mission to “promote aesthetic education” and establishing it as the central cultural hub of the campus.

4.2. Project 2: Long Scroll by the Lake

4.2.1. Analysis of the Current Site Status

The site of Project 2 is located at the center of the campus, the central lake, and the middle section of the “One Road”. The current imagery feature combination for Project 2 is “road + lake surface (site) + building facade (boundary) + lakeshore (boundary)”. The site is currently plagued by the following issues: (1) At the lakeshore boundary, the suburban imagery is relatively prominent. Although the natural landscape is relatively harmonious, it also lacks the positive and lively changes that a university campus should have. (2) After more than ten years of use, the building facade is relatively old and outdated, and the architectural language that overly focuses on functionality has not changed (Figure 20).

4.2.2. Design Concepts and Specific Measures

(1) Design concept: Currently, the facades of the five art teaching buildings on the south side of the central lake represent the campus’s most prominent boundary imagery. The renewal concept primarily utilizes the existing building facades, relies on the basic structure of the buildings, and employs materials and colors to create a “media” interface. This minimal intervention transforms the continuous facade into a venue for artistic activities and events (Figure 21, Figure 22 and Figure 23).

(2) Specific measures: This approach involves the construction of scaffolding outside the facade to create a “facade renewal site”, using the scaffolding as a frame carrier and the gauze of the construction fence as the information “media” with replaceable content, which creates artistic “long scroll” imagery with a continuous facade boundary. Therefore, the “super-scale” media form is used to create “non-daily” imagery for the lakeshore, forming an artistic “event”.

4.3. Project 3: Nine-Curved Corridor Bridge

4.3.1. Analysis of the Current Site Status

Project 3 and Project 2 are both located in the campus’s core area, the central lake, as well as the lakeside area. The imagery feature combination is “road + lake surface (site) + lakeshore (boundary)”. The site is currently plagued by the following issues: (1) The lake has a good landscape, but it naturally isolates the teaching areas on both sides. (2) The suburban imagery that connects the wetland is relatively prominent, but it lacks the necessary passing facilities and water-friendly recreation facilities. The resulting lakeshore space is difficult to pass, lacks a sense of stay, and lacks cultural elements (Figure 24).

4.3.2. Design Concepts and Specific Measures

The purpose of this node design is to improve the infrastructure based on the current traffic situation of the campus, strengthen the public attributes of the middle section of the campus, and enhance the existing campus space (Figure 25, Figure 26 and Figure 27).

(1) Measure 1: Linear embedding and public linkage. The updated design adheres to the principle of minimal site intervention, incorporating a new linear pedestrian system. The topography of the site embeds nine circles, which serve as the basis for the translation of various spatial element types, including “stage, pavilion, square, theater, road, courtyard, corridor, bridge” (Figure 26). This allows people to enjoy a winding path, a unique perspective, and a diverse spatial experience while walking and observing. The aim of this design is to link the north and south teaching areas and to enhance the experience of roaming the campus’s public space.

(2) Measure 2: The incorporation of water and forest elements enhances the visual appeal of the campus. The transformative design of campus imagery incorporates a forked curved path into the middle section of the campus’s main road, drawing inspiration from the natural area. This path inspires a love for the lake to the south and provides a view of the mountains and forests to the north, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of spatial exploration and elevating the cognition of campus imagery (Figure 27). Some photos of the completed construction are shown in Figure 28.

(3) Measure 3 focuses on limited creation and diverse modifications. The node design implements the principles of “limited creation” and “simple and flexible”, including the following: (a) not changing the landscape characteristics of the original site, or its dismantling and restoration in future campus design and planning; (b) presenting the space type in a minimal manner during translation, simulating the behavioral patterns of people in the future, setting up basic facilities, pre-setting temporary facilities, and allowing the space to be flexibly used and changed; and (c) focusing on the fluidity of node design in the cognition of campus imagery; that is, the design should not create a serious memorial space, but present a diverse and fluid “media” feature that can be reused.

4.4. Project 4: Open Campus–Urban Life Plaza

4.4.1. Analysis of the Current Site Status

Project 4 primarily focuses on renovating the canteen and intersection area. It is the central section of “One Road” and the intersection of multiple roads on campus. The imagery feature combination for Project 4 is “building + square (place) + university gate (node, boundary) + lakeshore (boundary)”. The site is currently plagued by the following issues: (1) The canteen, located in the central area of the campus, is in a state of disrepair and aging. Because it is the only canteen on campus, it lacks complex functions. (2) The existing facilities surrounding the canteen have a single purpose and are in a state of disrepair, while the outdoor public space is lacking vitality. (3) The urban area around the campus near the canteen has witnessed the development of commercial streets, shops, vendors, and other businesses based on the university’s customer base. This vague zone has formed before and after the COVID-19 epidemic. Food safety, social security, and other issues have led to a series of problems that need to be dynamically solved with the management of campus operations. The space around the canteen is congested, messy, and lacks cultural elements, but has some places to stay (Figure 29).

4.4.2. Design Concepts and Specific Measures

Project 4’s updated design aims to conduct an “open campus experiment” facing the city. The main road of the current HIFA campus is short in terms of its interaction with the city, and it is blocked by a large area of wasteland that is currently under construction. Large-scale urban villages and neighboring universities dominate the areas near the canteen and the south gate, where the campus and the city interact more closely. The surveys and interviews revealed that the majority of students believe that the commercial area beyond the south gate has transitioned from serving as a canteen and providing accommodation to becoming a mature commercial area that relies on student consumption. The COVID-19 epidemic led to the closure of the campus and its near isolation from the surrounding urban areas. The number of COVID-19 cases significantly decreased in 2023, leading to the gradual removal of restrictions. The closure sparked a societal conversation about the reversal of the open-campus mindset. In this context, based on the current layout and development of the campus, the purpose of this renovation design is to partially renovate the campus cafeteria and living area into an open-campus city living square, as a partial open-campus experiment (Figure 30, Figure 31 and Figure 32).

(1) Measure 1 involved removing the wall and setting up an internal entrance. We demolished the cafeteria’s campus wall 150 m from Limiao South Road, while retaining the original entrance to the university. We set up an internal entrance to the campus at the intersection of two adjacent streets that lead to the dormitory area and the art teaching building, creating a buffer zone between the street and the cafeteria area.

(2) Measure 2 involved connecting the lakeside landscape and building a living square. After the wall’s demolition, the planning red line served as the boundary, creating a buffer zone that integrates the university and the city with the campus lakeshore. We designed and transformed this area into a small pedestrian square, setting up relevant facilities to create a campus “central living area”, which connects the teaching area in the north and the dormitory and sports area in the south. The city blocks connect it outward, forming an urban vitality zone that radiates to the surrounding living areas and neighboring colleges.

(3) Measure 3 involved renovating the cafeteria building. We renovated the canteen building based on the basic structural features of the original building, reshaping the multiple facades facing the city and the campus. We changed the original building’s closed exterior walls and used interlacing blocks to form a new facade structure. We set up transparent glass exterior walls and entrances to enhance the building’s transparency, embodying the concept of “daily life is art”.

4.5. Practicality of Recommendations

This study’s design practice is not without its own set of challenges. The project’s time node coincides with the initial phase of the university’s ongoing campus construction and renewal. Based on the current state of the site, the researchers conducted an evaluation study and developed a conceptual design, considering various relevant factors. The plan incorporated a degree of experimentation and identified critical issues that required immediate resolution. The later implementation plan recognized and reflected some concepts from this study, including the transformation of roads and lakeshores, as well as the design of related nodes. Some ideas, like the experiment of opening the university city square, remain unrealized in the updated guidance plan. The practical challenges of university management prevent its implementation at present. However, considering the developmental status of the surrounding urban areas, the concept of this plan could also be used as a reference for a similar design. In summary, this study and conceptual design are grounded in reality and aim to integrate some advanced design concepts. We have improved the current situation under various constraints.

5. Conclusions

This study conducted a practical assessment of the mechanism, research methods, and design strategies associated with the campus image during the practical project of “imagery planning and transformation design”, implemented on the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts campus. By comparing the differences in the perception of campus imagery among various subjects at the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, we were able to identify and categorize a new update mechanism. Additionally, our on-site investigation of campus imagery allowed us to construct a model of image characteristics and determine the focus and strategy of the renewal design. In summary, the above design practices solved the problems that have arisen regarding the image of the campus, which include: (1) Addressing the most prominent image element of the campus, the main road, which has a weak landscape, a relatively closed road facade, and fewer complex functions. The optimization of the main road’s traffic experience involves enhancing its supporting functions, adjusting the transparency of the landscape and building facades on both sides of the road, and strengthening the use of key road nodes. (2) To address issues related to the image of the campus, such as its relatively closed building areas, low level of integration, and unsuitability for interdisciplinary integration, we implement strategies that expand key nodes, boost connectivity between areas, and establish additional outdoor communication spaces. (3) With regard to the scattered distribution of artworks on campus and the lack of landmarks that symbolize campus culture, improvements are made by strengthening the image of key buildings and setting up memorial sculptures that represent campus culture. Among the four sub-projects of the specific design practice, Project 1 aims to transform the daily space, which lacks characteristics, into a memorial space, through the transformation of road and boundary imagery. Project 2 aims to update this daily space through “representation”, such as color, media, and events, bringing non-daily experiences to the image of the campus. Project 3 aims to transform a negative daily space into a complex and vibrant daily space. Project 4 aims to remove the campus boundary and incorporate the vitality of urban social life into the campus’s daily life. This design practice further validates the rationality and feasibility of incorporating urban image theory into campus design.

Along with the rapid development of Chinese cities, Chinese university campuses have experienced more than 20 years of large-scale construction. Today, due to a reduction in the number of college entrance examination candidates and the saturation of campuses, Chinese university campuses have fully entered the stage of stock development and renewal. In the previous stage, the rapid construction process faced numerous practical challenges. Specifically, the construction process prioritized efficiency over the needs of campus users. A large number of campus buildings can be compared to “machines for higher education”, producing batches of educational “products” and not paying enough attention to the physical and mental growth of university students. The concept of “environmental education” has significantly influenced campus planning, construction, and renewal, necessitating the development of new concepts and methodological guidance. By considering the way in which multiple subjects, especially users, perceive the impact of the campus, a mechanism of bottom-up participatory renewal is constructed. This also serves as inspiration for revitalizing other urban spaces, including communities, public spaces, and historical blocks.