- Date
- 12th August 2026
Set within the lakeside landscape of Dushu Lake Egret Park in Suzhou, Xi Garden is a compact public pavilion shaped by its setting and cultural context. Rather than treating the pavilion as a purely functional amenity, the design creates a distinctive destination within the park, a place to pause, celebrate and create memories.
The 8m × 8m pavilion was carefully positioned through detailed surveys of the existing landscape, preserving every native tree and retaining the established footpaths. At just 5.2 m high, its restrained scale allows the building to sit within the greenery, strengthening the relationship between architecture, lake and park.
The design draws on the Chinese character Xi, meaning ‘double happiness’, traditionally associated with marriage and celebration. Its strokes are abstracted into a simple geometric framework that defines the façade, translating a familiar cultural symbol into contemporary architectural language. A steel structure supports the projecting courtyard walls, giving the pavilion a sense of lightness that contrasts with its precise geometry.
Inspired by the layered delicacy of a wedding dress, galvanized steel pipes and fine grilles form a translucent envelope around white stucco surfaces. As daylight passes through the screen, shifting patterns of shadow animate the walls and create a changing atmosphere throughout the day and across the seasons. The result provides a backdrop for wedding photography and ceremonies, while also working as an inviting space for everyday public use.
Inside, a modular structural approach allows the pavilion to adapt over time. It can accommodate weddings, social gatherings, exhibitions and community events without losing its original clarity. Xi Garden is a small intervention with a broader purpose, creating a distinctive public place that responds to its landscape while adding new activity and meaning to life beside the lake.
