In designing the news sports centre at the Beijing Institute of Technology, the architect was keen to counter the isolating effects of social media and the digital age. The focus was on creating a space that encouraged interaction and communal learning. The design was also inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s interdisciplinary dialogue on science, architecture and art. The parabolic roofline of the building reflects da Vinci’s Flying Machine, allowing the free flow of people and thoughts beneath it.