Interior Design
Retail
Seazen Group
236,477.6m2
When Marco Polo arrived to Suzhou he was most impresed by the city’s waterways and called it the “Venice of the East”. This crucial infrastructure – the grand canal – is today replaced by the high speed train network.
We wanted to build on this rich legacy. Imagine bringing together Suzhou’s historic water town and the 300km per hour high speed trains. Our site is next to the new high speed train terminal and set to play a key role in welcoming future visitors of Suzhou.
How to create an indoor themed street that stand the test of time? That will not become dated and a bit of a kitsch after a few years.
Through careful analysis of the urban morphology and the architectural typologies on Pinjiang Road, we extracted the essential qualities of this historical area to create an indoor retail street that is not a mere imitation, but an authentic reinterpretation of the Old Town.
The commercial complex was designed based on two concepts. The first five storeys feature large curved surfaces inspired by local handicrafts. The dark metal vertical elements with well-defined edges and corners are a striking contrast to the white horizontal elements with smooth curves. The top storey is a modern interpretation of Suzhou’s traditional waterways and architecture.
A combination of modern and traditional materials were used to recreate the atmosphere of Pingjiang Road with its picturesque bridges. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll through narrow streets, open spaces and small boutiques housed in traditional Chinese architecture.
