In March this year, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) unveiled a $45 million learning hub to support the "flipped classroom" teaching method.

With this approach, students learn content online and discuss questions in class.

The Hive was dreamt up by Mr Thomas Heatherwick, a renowned British designer whose notable designs include the cauldron for the flame at the London Olympics in 2012.

The learning hub has been nicknamed the "dim sum basket building", as the structure resembles the round wooden trays used for Chinese snacks.

It is composed of 12 towers - each of which is eight storeys high - of stacked, rounded rooms. Each of the 56 "smart" classrooms in NTU's learning hub is equipped with flexible clustered seating, electronic whiteboards and multiple LCD screens.