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Photo courtesy of JJP Architects & Planners
The pinecone-shaped NCU Multi-Functional Auditorium, which was inspired by pine trees, the symbolic icon of NCU, was the winner of the DNA Paris Design Awards 2022 in the Educational and Sports category and won the silver prize in architectural designs of the International Design Awards 2021. This award-winning auditorium caught the media’s attention, thereby being widely publicized by domestic and international architectural magazines, mass media, and online platforms.

Both the DNA Paris Design Awards and the International Design Awards of the United States have international impacts on design. The former aims to look for and recognize groundbreaking design works worldwide; the latter is a world-renowned design award in fields including architectural design and interior design. NCU partnered up with JJP Architects & Planners to build the auditorium, and this accomplishment gained international prizes and recognition.

Pine trees have always been the symbol of NCU, and the design of the auditorium originated from the pinecone, suggesting the cultivation of the seeds of wisdom. In a brisk pine forest, the square-shaped Teaching & Research Building and the oval-shaped Multi-Functional Auditorium stand tall and grand. The Teaching & Research Building serves administrative and teaching purposes, and the magnificent auditorium serves multiple purposes and can accommodate up to an audience of 1,500 people.

The idea of the gradual unfolding of a pinecone was used not only in the exterior of the auditorium to connote fruitfulness but also in the interior design of the building, integrating the interior space and the property of acoustic reflections. The crafty design also makes the auditorium a perfect performance space for concerts, theater performances, assemblies, lectures, and even outdoor activities, offering all kinds of possibilities for stage use. The auditorium not only provides spaces for a variety of teaching and artistic events on campus but also represents NCU’s spirit!

"Pine" is the spiritual symbol of NCU. The exterior of the auditorium is inspired by the idea that "pinecone" nurtures the seeds of wisdom. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Secretary