Nina Mall 1
China
View Project
Seazen Suzhou Wuyue Plaza
- Location
- Suzhou, China
- Client
- Seazen Group
- Services
- Interior Design
- Sector
- Retail
- Awards
- BCI Asia Interior Design Awards (2022): Merit – Large Category, Singapore Interior Design Awards (2022): Silver – Best in Retail Design / Mall Communal Spaces
Seazen Suzhou Wuyue Plaza’s six-level interiors speak to Suzhou’s heritage as a city of canals and craft – Marco Polo called it “the Venice of the East” – while reading as contemporary in both material and detail. Two distinct but complementary environments run through the mall: a craft-inspired modernist scheme across the lower five floors, and a reinterpretation of Suzhou’s historic Pingjiang Road above. The mall is adjacent to North Suzhou High Speed Railway Station.
Dates2020
Size
236,477m2
A craft tradition translated into curve and contrast
The lower five floors take their cue from Suzhou’s centuries-old tradition of woodworking and carving. Sweeping curves run through atrium edges, lift lobbies and shopfront frames, expressing the same fluid linework that defines the local craft tradition. The palette is monochromatic: blackened steel verticals with sharp edges set against glossy white horizontals with smooth curves, allowing tenant shopfronts to stand out against a quieter background. Material selection focuses on ethically and locally sourced finishes.
An indoor reinterpretation of Pingjiang Road
The top floor reinterprets Pingjiang Road, the Old Town street of canals, bridges and shophouses that attract visitors to Suzhou. Based on a careful study of the road’s urban morphology and architectural typology, the design carries the rhythm and texture of the original street into a contemporary indoor setting: shophouses, water canals, bridges, narrow walkways and small public squares lit from above by skylights. The materials are a deliberate mix of traditional and modern, creating a contemporary extension of the Old Town which functions as a public space for Suzhou.
