Shu-Te University Interior Design Graduates Achieve Double Honors with “Walking Through Wanli”
Shu-Te University’s Department of Interior Design continues to shine! Under the guidance of Professor Ji Shuntang, students Bai Yahan and Zhang Yongle stood out with their graduation project “Walking Through Wanli”, winning top awards in two major competitions. The project earned the 2025 Golden Pin Newcomer Design Award in the Spatial Design category and the Youth Creativity Design Competition Merit Award in Architecture and Spatial Design, organized by the Kaohsiung City Government, making them the only representatives from a private university to receive honors this year.
The Golden Pin Newcomer Design Award, jointly guided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Education and organized by the Industrial Development Bureau with execution by the Taiwan Design Research Institute and Taiwan Excellent Design Association, symbolizes the highest honor for emerging designers. Each year, thousands of submissions are evaluated, and only the works with the greatest creative potential and industrial applicability are selected. For young designers, this award serves as a key stepping stone into the professional world. Shu-Te’s students impressed the judges with their on-site presentation and physical model, bringing further recognition to the university.
At the same time, “Walking Through Wanli” also received the 2025 Youth Creativity Design Competition Merit Award, making Shu-Te University the only private university nationwide to be recognized, showcasing the students’ strong capabilities and exceptional creativity. This competition, hosted by the Kaohsiung City Cultural Bureau, is open to all universities and research institutes in Taiwan, making it highly competitive.
The project focuses on the century-old market in Yuanli, integrating historic architecture with modern operational concepts to create a multifunctional space for social interaction, culture, and green leisure. The design preserves the original axes of the historic site, connects old and new structures through intermediary spaces, and introduces a vertical park concept to address the lack of urban green space. The result is an integrated experience of “shopping, dining, and park recreation.” Design techniques emphasize material contrasts and cultural regeneration, layering concrete, steel, and glass to produce a modern yet warm human-centered market where historical memory and everyday life coexist harmoniously.
Professor Ji Shuntang commented, “In an era of widespread higher education, professional skills and workplace attitude are key for graduates to succeed. These two students not only demonstrated excellent design ability but also attracted inquiries and interviews from multiple industry firms during the exhibition, reflecting the strength and value of vocational education in providing seamless transitions to employment.”
Department Chair Wang Bifen stated, “This achievement not only enhances the students’ personal credentials but also demonstrates Shu-Te University’s deep commitment to design education. We will continue to cultivate young designers with international competitiveness.”
