Suzhou Central
China
View Project
Suzhou Centre
- Client
- Suzhou Industrial Park Jinji Lake Urban Development, CapitaMalls Asia
- Services
- Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Masterplanning
- Sector
- Mixed Use, Retail
- Location
- Suzhou, China
- Sustainability Accreditations
- LEED (US Green Building Council)
Placemaking with record-breaking architecture
The Suzhou Centres sit on the banks of Jinji Lake, at the heart of the 16-hectare Suzhou Industrial Park. The centre brings together retail space, offices, residential accommodation and a hotel alongside children’s attractions, a cinema, an Olympic-sized ice rink and direct connections to the metro below the site.
Dates2017
Size
1,130,000m²
340,000m² retail GFA
Where land meets water
Inspired by the aquatic landscape around the site, the design integrates biophilic elements throughout, including a cascading water curtain along the glass façade and 60,000m² of greenery across outdoor terraces and rooftops. Landscaped pedestrian bridges connect Suzhou Centre directly to the waterfront, drawing the lake into the experience of the building.
A record-breaking structure
The standout feature is the free-form monocoque roof, which spans 36,000m² and unites three interconnected buildings under a single architectural identity, the largest self-supported structure of its kind in the world. Inspired by the wingspan of the mythical Chinese phoenix, a symbol of grace and prosperity, the roof gives Suzhou Centre an instantly recognisable civic presence on the Jinji Lake skyline.
