Eslite Suzhou is a successful commercial and cultural complex that rests on the shore of Jinji Lake. The architectural design pays great respect to the lakeside and the triangular site, delivering an isosceles, three-sided podium that steps down towards the water, holding up the twin towers that stand at its base angles. Main entrances are placed at the three vertices, welcoming visitors into a wondrous hybrid of commercial demands and cultural values.
The twin towers, one for offices and the other for service apartments, each has its own independent drop-off and entrance. Down below, the podium hosts a handful of commercial functions that center around the renowned Eslite bookstore. Differing from traditional literary shops or modern retail complexes, the project consists of shopping stops, art galleries, a multi-functional hall, and a book lover’s heaven. Visitors enter from the three tips of the triangular podium, and travel through the T-shaped foyer of three to arrive at the central atrium, where the grand staircase takes them above the boutique stores on the first and second floors, straight to the sunlit courtyard on the third, which carries the flagship bookstore and the remaining commercial uses. Stepping outside, theme restaurants terraced down toward Jinji Lake to create pleasant viewing platforms. An open plaza sits on the ground floor between the terraces and the lake, offering a serene hangout spot that is welcoming to all.
In a city where sunlight beams down over six months annually, the frames of the skylight and street facade utilizes light and shadow to mimic neatly-placed books on the shelves. They not only accentuate the movement of shadows throughout the day, but also serve as shading devices which block out excessive light and solar gain for energy-savings. In addition, the facade features window lattices reinterpreted from The Classical Gardens of Suzhou fused with the business logo of Eslite Bookstore. Along with large LED screens and other lighting designs, they constitute a new city block brimming with art, culture, creativity, and life. Large bay windows extruded out from the two towers, allowing ample light to fill up the internal spaces. Column framework and stone cladding cover the remaining surfaces, rendering the towers not of the typical fully-glazed highrise, but which embrace cultural context and spatial functions without sacrificing user comforts.
This project perfectly integrates Eslite’s corporate culture into its architectural design, awarding Suzhou City a hybrid of business needs and ethnic values in the form of a flourishing commercial and culture complex.
