Suzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum is located in the east part of the Suzhou Horticultural Exposition Park, in the city's Wuzhong District. The site is in a preserved village near Taihu Lake, and surrounded by a river on three sides. The design is inspired both by its natural environment and the culture of the city of Suzhou.
Our strategy is to connect the building's various functions using courtyards and outdoor corridors in order to generate the spatial experience of local building types. In consideration of the rainy local climate, the corridors connecting the courtyards are covered to reduce the effect of the weather on visitors. The main spaces located in the courtyards are each designed with specific identities, for example a dome theater covered by laminated bamboo louvers with green vegetation, an iconic cloud installation on the roof-top platform of the museum lobby, an observation tower that overlooks the surrounding view in distance, and a restaurant at the water-front. To meet the program requirements and reduce the negative impact on the natural environment, the majority of the volume is covered by a green roof, enhancing the theme of blending the boundaries of architecture and nature.
The Suzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum provides visitors not only with in-depth information during their visit, but also an interactive experience. In addition to directing visitors towards the roof exhibition platform, the museum's three atriums create natural ventilation and lighting. The Museum in effect forms a public park; showcasing numerous kinds of vegetation while also providing a venue space for outdoor performances and dining events, as well as educational and interactive experiences.
Material Used :
Exposed concrete, White Stucco, Laminated Bamboo Slate, Glass Curtain Wall
