Jinji Lake Pavilion in Suzhou

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The Jinji Lake Pavilion designed by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – has opened. This is one of the eleven permanent pavilions forming a 13-kilometer promenade around Suzhou’s waterfront. The 1,200-square-meter building presents four interconnected parts arranged around a central courtyard. Each one houses a different program: coffee shop, boutique, restaurant, visitor center. Bringing up traditional tea houses, BIG does a take on the ceramic roof by means of an undulating skin fragmented with pieces of glass that drape towards the ground and incorporate perforations to create a dynamic play of lights and shadows. The facades, with double-height entrances, guide visitors to the courtyard, where a tree stands as a focal point. Their transparent glazing allows a visual rapport with the surrounding park, while the surfaces of polished steel reflect both the light and the greenery.