2025 / Graduation design / Spatial narrative & digital exhibition

The Paper Kite Cube

A digital pop-up exhibition bringing kite heritage into everyday campus life

Set within the campus community of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, this project translates the frames, patterns, and flight of Chinese kites into exhibition modules that can be dismantled and recombined. Audience routes and cultural research inform four settings—gate square, student shopping centre, outdoor playground, and teaching space—connecting observation, making, and digital experiences through an open-ended cultural narrative.

2025 graduation design. Deliverables include cultural and site research, a modular system, four spatial proposals, and visualisations. AR, VR, and the digital platform are proposed experience designs.

04Campus settings05Experience modules01Shared cultural narrative

My contribution: Cultural and site research, spatial narrative, module design, and visualisation
Project stage: Research, spatial proposals, plans, elevations, and visualisations; digital experiences are proposed designs

01 / 10

Context & cultural brief

How might heritage become part of campus life, beyond the display case?

Chinese kites are the subject of this project, addressing limited participation in conventional displays, the distance between cultural content and everyday life, and digital media without a clear context. Temporary, movable pop-up exhibitions offer a way to bring heritage into the campus community.

Observation without participation

Static displays can leave visitors looking at objects without experiencing the craft or stories behind them.

↳ Move from viewing towards making, exploration, and bodily participation.

A gap between heritage and daily life

Dedicated exhibitions require a planned visit, while campus free time is scattered across journeys, class breaks, and leisure.

↳ Place pop-up nodes within existing everyday routes.

Disconnected spatial and digital content

Adding a screen does not automatically create a narrative: each medium needs a cultural reference and a purposeful visitor action.

↳ Give each kite characteristic a corresponding mode of experience.

Analysis of conventional displays and information presentation — Exhibition: from information delivery to participation.

Community participation and living heritage — Community: shared activity keeps culture in circulation.

Sustaining heritage through participation

The campus is understood as a community shared by students, staff, and residents. A kite can be both a cultural symbol and a medium for making, conversation, and leisure. Exhibition nodes therefore accommodate everyday movement as well as different levels of participation.

Original research framework for community-based heritage exhibition — Community exhibition framework: relationships between cultural content, participation, and repeated encounters.

The cultural material: history, craft & symbolism

The cultural research examines history, making, form, and motifs. Frames and strings embody structure and balance, while paper and painting carry imagery and symbolism. These characteristics later inform the spatial frames, display surfaces, interaction themes, and connections between nodes.

01
Frame making
Construct the frame and balance
02
Paper covering
Create the surface for imagery
03
Painting
Add motifs, colour, and symbolism
04
Rigging
Connect handling and flight

Research framework covering kite culture, history, and craft — Original cultural framework: traditional knowledge supplies the material for subsequent design decisions.

Open the complete research framework

Complete framework connecting the research questions to spatial strategies — The original research structure is preserved; open the image to inspect its detail.

02 / 10

Campus, people & daily routes

Understand how people move before deciding where cultural encounters happen.

The site research maps accommodation, teaching and shopping facilities, sports grounds, and open spaces at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Everyday routes and possible stopping points inform four settings: the gate square, student shopping centre, playground, and teaching space, each with a different footprint and rhythm of use.

Campus map identifying accommodation, green and open spaces, and candidate exhibition nodes — Campus scale: dispersed cultural nodes fit within an existing network of everyday activity.

Maps of the Yunyuan, Qinyuan, and Zisong accommodation areas and surrounding sites — Accommodation areas: everyday starting points help reveal the accessibility of nearby spaces.

Three audiences, different rhythms of participation

Students

Frequent movement between accommodation, teaching, shopping, and sports spaces suggests brief visits and exploration with friends.

↳ Visible entrances and optional routes allow a single module to become the start of a longer visit.

Staff

Work and teaching create relatively fixed routes; participation should fit around movement and breaks.

↳ Compact viewing and digital experiences near teaching spaces reduce the need for a special trip.

Residents & families

Green spaces, leisure, and family activities create another campus rhythm, with a need for shared making and time to stay.

↳ Workshops, rest pavilions, and open grounds support participation together.

Campus-route analysis and illustrative scenarios for students, staff, and residents — Route study: illustrative personas organise needs; they are not presented as interview participants.

Daily activity curves for students, staff, and residents — Time study: daily activity differences suggest opportunities for brief visits and shared participation.

RESEARCH → DESIGN

The same content need not occupy the same footprint everywhere. Independently accessible modules suit short visits, workshops support longer engagement, and shared visual and digital cues connect the settings.

Discovery starts beyond the site

Discovery channels including campus notices, posters, WeChat, and social platforms — Original communication study: online information and on-site visibility provide complementary entry points.

Posters, notices, and social platforms provide information before a visit. Visible kite structures allow passers-by to discover the event without planning ahead. The design considers both finding the exhibition and choosing to stop when passing it.

Scanning and digital content are proposed to link the nodes, extending an encounter to mobile and leaving a cue for the next setting.

View the original audience and space-use analysis

These are research and observation charts from the graduation project. The source does not document a complete sample size, collection date, or statistical method; they are retained as research records rather than current campus statistics or validated audience proportions.

Original audience-composition and age-distribution charts — Original audience analysis.

Original observation chart relating campus spaces and user groups — Space-use observations inform site hypotheses that require further field evaluation.

03 / 10

From kite to spatial experience

Translate the logic of a kite into an experience, beyond its silhouette.

Hard-wing, flat, three-dimensional, and string kites are decomposed into frames, load relationships, surfaces, and repeated units. Symmetry and support inform the spatial frame, painted surfaces inform display interfaces, and flight and linkage become themes for virtual experiences and exploration across nodes.

Frame and form decomposition of four Chinese kite types — Form study: kite types and their frame structures.

Kite frames, supporting structures, and traditional motifs — Structure and motifs establish a spatial language of rigidity, flexibility, symmetry, and symbolism.

Make structure a cultural cue

Latticework, crossed supports, symmetrical silhouettes, and repeated suspended displays carry through the proposal. Red frames, translucent surfaces, and kite motifs give settings of different scales a recognisable shared identity.

Motif studies include longevity symbols, clouds, butterflies, swallows, dragons, and flowers. They inform installation silhouettes, wayfinding, and content categories as well as decorative surfaces.

Four kite types, four experience translations

Symmetrical frame & swallow silhouette

Virtual flight experience

The sense of direction and bodily imagination associated with kite flying becomes a VR theme. Symmetrical spatial frames retain the kite’s structural character as visitors move from observing a kite to imagining flight with it.

See the related space ↗

Original mapping from hard-wing, flat, three-dimensional, and string kites to digital experiences — Original translation diagram: VR flight, projection, dynamic installation, and AR-linked nodes.

Research atlas of kite culture, types, regions, and visual elements — Cultural visual atlas: references and formal cues support the spatial language.

04 / 10

Narrative, modules & digital strategy

Recombine the content while keeping the narrative connected.

Spatial narrative brings together setting, time, and events. Independently accessible modules replace a single fixed route: a visitor can encounter motifs before making or exploring digital content, while the dispersed campus nodes share content and an identity system.

01
Discover
Encounter the kite frames along a daily route, or discover the event through campus notices, posters, and social channels.
02
Understand
Learn about frames, craft, and cultural symbolism through interpretive content, motifs, and exhibits.
03
Experience
Enter the proposed narrative through projection, scanning, and virtual flight.
04
Make together
Encounter the craft in a workshop, moving from receiving information towards making.
05
Continue
Linked nodes, digital keepsakes, and a proposed virtual gallery offer ways to reconnect after leaving.

Narrative model linking setting, time, events, and spatial-cultural language — Narrative model: spatial language connects events with cultural content.

System relationships between community, platform, modules, and engagement — Modular ecology: a cycle connecting content, design, space, community, and value.

From base frame to exhibition

Assembly proceeds through five stages: base and secondary framing, exhibition arrangement, interaction facilities, and the central installation. Adjusting the number, arrangement, and functions of modules allows the same spatial language to fit sites of different scales.

Five-stage assembly sequence from the base frame to the central installation — Original assembly study. Materials and connections require evaluation through physical mock-ups.

01Build the base frame
02Add secondary framing
03Arrange exhibition content
04Insert interaction facilities
05Install the central element

Adapt the assembly to the site

Linear sequence

Display cases, projection, and experience modules follow the direction of a narrow space, allowing visitors to join or leave along the route.

Diagram of the arrangement principle, rather than a construction drawing.

Adaptation studies for area, spatial shape, and module combinations — Original adaptation studies: assemblies respond to site area and shape.

Digital strategy: extend one encounter across settings

The proposal brings together on-site scanning, mobile information, themed VR, digital keepsakes, and a virtual gallery. Each medium serves kite culture and the visitor’s context: understand and participate on site, retain a cue on mobile, and continue across settings.

Digital strategy connecting on-site scanning, mobile content, and virtual experiences — Digital experience proposal: connections between scanning, mobile content, and virtual scenes.

View the integration of culture, community, and digital life

Integration framework for culture, community, everyday activity, and digital media — Integration framework: shared participation supports continued encounters with heritage.

The interactions on this page explain cultural translation and module arrangements. The project’s AR, VR, and platform remain proposed experiences rather than delivered working systems.

05 / 10

Campus gate square

Open entrance / full narrative

The large rectangular gate square accommodates the full exhibition sequence. A flat kite informs the plan, with curved display areas, light galleries, and digital focal points organising an extended route while retaining open access from the sides.

SPATIAL DECISION

A visible entrance draws passers-by towards independent stopping points, supporting different depths of engagement.

Campus gate square axonometric visualisation — Overall assembly: frames, exhibition modules, and shared activity space at the campus gate square.

Campus gate square plan and spatial functions — Original design drawing; open to inspect the functional key. Screen dimensions are not a measurement scale.

Programme

Light gallery, kite workshop, digital display installation, VR area, dragon-head installation, red kite frame, interactive screen, curved displays, and interpretation panels.

Experience route

Enter from the visible campus gateway, learn through galleries and displays, then choose the workshop, virtual experience, or central digital installation.

Entrance view: suspended kites and continuous framing establish an approach.

Digital interaction centre: a circular space provides a focal point for viewing and staying.

Light gallery: exhibition elements, frames, and translucent surfaces create spatial layers.

06 / 10

Student shopping centre

Compact site / selected experiences

Student shopping spaces concentrate passing activity but offer a smaller footprint. The proposal retains the core digital displays and heritage workshop, fitting kite making, an AR scanning point, VR, and screen interaction into a narrow site.

SPATIAL DECISION

Reduce the assembly while retaining viewing, interaction, and making; open edges accommodate short visits around shopping and class breaks.

Student shopping centre axonometric visualisation — Overall assembly: frames, exhibition modules, and shared activity space at the student shopping centre.

Student shopping centre plan and spatial functions — Original design drawing; open to inspect the functional key. Screen dimensions are not a measurement scale.

Programme

Kite workshop, AR scanning point, VR experience area, and screen interaction area.

Experience route

A short visit around shopping or class breaks can start at a screen or exhibit. The workshop and virtual experience offer optional deeper participation.

Shopping-node entrance: kite markers, exhibits, and open framing create a recognisable presence.

Interior experience: craft displays sit alongside places to pause and talk.

07 / 10

Outdoor playground

Large site / group activities

The open playground allows a broader assembly of modules. A kite-inspired layout places a central wooden structure among experience and rest pavilions, supporting exhibition, relaxation, and group participation. Continuous display surfaces make the theme visible from a distance.

SPATIAL DECISION

Establish a clear hierarchy across the larger site, using the distinctive wooden structure to connect surrounding experience areas.

Outdoor playground axonometric visualisation — Overall assembly: frames, exhibition modules, and shared activity space at the outdoor playground.

Outdoor playground plan and spatial functions — Original design drawing; open to inspect the functional key. Screen dimensions are not a measurement scale.

Programme

Interactive interpretation pavilion, kite wooden structure, kite rest pavilion, interactive screen, virtual experience area, and interpretation panels.

Experience route

An open site allows groups to enter together, circulate around the wooden structure, view displays, and rest before trying surrounding digital and virtual experiences.

Playground entrance: the larger assembly creates a continuous display frontage.

Exhibition passage: kite displays and open frames guide visitors through the collection.

Inside the kite wooden structure: red latticework becomes an inhabitable spatial marker.

08 / 10

Teaching space

Between-class route / compact insertion

The teaching node inserts the exhibition into daily learning routes. Crossed frames, red latticework, kite markers, and a digital experience entrance form a compact module, allowing an encounter with heritage between classes.

SPATIAL DECISION

Combine several interfaces in a small footprint, keeping cultural references in the frame, façade, and entrance rather than relying on a large standalone pavilion.

Teaching space axonometric visualisation — Overall assembly: frames, exhibition modules, and shared activity space at the teaching space.

Teaching space plan and spatial functions — Original design drawing; open to inspect the functional key. Screen dimensions are not a measurement scale.

Programme

Kite displays, digital experience entrance, crossed framing, and lattice display surfaces; the original plan labels an overall width of 6700 mm.

Experience route

Recognise the kite theme between classes, encounter content through compact displays and experience entrances, and retain a clear route through the space.

Teaching-site visualisation: the module sits in an open space between existing buildings.

Façade study: kite markers and red latticework retain a consistent visual language.

Opposite view: experience entrance, display surfaces, and passage through the module.

09 / 10

Experience modules & installations

The same modules take on different roles across the campus.

The final proposal combines five elements: an AR/VR pavilion, heritage workshop, digital interaction centre, dragon-centipede installation, and red kite frame. Together they support digital exploration, shared making, information and interaction, cultural identity, and inhabitable display structures.

01 / AR · VR

AR / VR experience pavilion

Scanning, a virtual-flight theme, and kite displays are brought together within a recognisable experience module. A symmetrical frame retains the kite’s structural character, with enclosure and openings responding to equipment placement and the approach.

AR / VR pavilion scene visualisation — Scene visualisation: situating virtual experiences within a cultural exhibition.

02 / WORKSHOP

Heritage kite workshop

The workshop turns information about kite making into a shared activity. Worktables, exhibits, and open framing allow visitors to observe making, join a conversation, or choose a longer hands-on session.

Heritage workshop axonometric visualisation — Module axonometric: organising space around making and conversation.

Kite workshop scene visualisation — Workshop scene: exhibits and activity spaces share an open frame.

Original plans, elevations, and dimensions of the experience pavilion and workshop — Module plans and elevations retain the design dimensions and diagrams; construction feasibility has not been established.

03 / INSTALLATION

Digital interaction centre

Spiral and circular forms with display interfaces create a spatial focal point for cultural and digital content.

04 / INSTALLATION

Dragon-centipede installation

Repeated segments of a string kite inspire a directional installation combining a dragon form with linked units.

05 / INSTALLATION

Red kite frame

Red latticework becomes a visible spatial marker, supporting suspended kites and translucent displays that visitors can enter and explore.

Further studies of frames, platforms & assemblies

Study of platforms and exhibition components — Platforms and displays: studying level changes and connections between components.

Study of open framing and display modules — Frames and displays: studying repetition, support, and open interfaces.

Original studies of five wooden-frame and display assemblies — Assembly studies: changes in frame density and arrangement respond to different sites.

10 / 10

Outcomes & further evaluation

Transform a dedicated exhibition visit into repeated encounters along everyday routes.

Design outcomes

Kite culture supplies the content, while campus audiences and sites guide its organisation into four settings, five experience modules, and a recombinable frame system. Space, craft, and digital media each have a purpose within the participation journey.

What needs evaluation next

Physical mock-ups and site walkthroughs should assess assembly, circulation, and accessibility. Experience prototypes should examine whether visitors understand the cultural cues, operate scanning and virtual experiences, and continue exploring across settings.

This case presents graduation research and proposals. Visualisations represent design intent, and intended benefits remain to be evaluated.