BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group reveals the Jinji Lake Pavilion, a 1,200-square-meter structure along the waterfront in Suzhou, China. Marking the firm’s first completed building in the city, the pavilion draws from traditional Chinese courtyard typology, offering a space for public gatherings and hospitality. Evoking the architecture of traditional Chinese teahouses, BIG reimagines the glazed ceramic tiled roof of the structure with glass tiles.
The pixelated roof drapes toward the ground like a canopy of leaves, casting dappled shadows and framing views of the lake. The project is one of eleven permanent pavilions developed as part of Suzhou’s initiative to activate the 13-kilometer lakeside promenade, with BIG’s neighboring Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art set to open later this year. ‘The Jinji Lake Pavilion is conceived as a family of public rooms arranged under a single unifying canopy,’ explains Bjarke Ingels, founder and Creative Director of BIG. ‘Like a little sister to the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, the Jinji Lake Pavilion seeks to reimagine the future architecture and landscape of the Lake District rooted in the rich heritage of Suzhou’s Chinese garden architecture.’
transparent glass facades front the structure
The pavilion consists of four interconnected volumes arranged around a central courtyard, each housing a distinct program—a café, a boutique, a restaurant, and a visitor center.‘Nestled under the grand camphor trees along the lake, the Jinji Lake Pavilion provides a tranquil space for the community,’ notes Catherine Huang, partner at BIG. ‘It is envisioned as an extension of the surrounding canopy of foliage.’
The lifted edges of the roof create generous double-height entrances that draw visitors into the courtyard, where a single tree serves as a meditative focal point. Transparent glass facades establish a connection with the landscape, while polished steel surfaces reflect light and greenery. A two-layered perforated shading system—an outer layer integrated into a glass assembly and an inner ceiling layer—filters light throughout the day, casting shifting patterns across the surfaces inside the pavilion.
▲ 四个体块环绕中央庭院布局
the pavilion consists of four interconnected volumes arranged around a central courtyard
▲ 这座建筑矗立于苏州金鸡湖畔
a 1,200-square-meter structure along the waterfront in Suzhou, China
▲ 设计灵感源自中国传统院落形制
the pavilion draws from traditional Chinese courtyard typology
▲ 像素化屋顶如垂天之云般倾泻
the pixelated roof drapes toward the ground
▲ BIG采用中式传统建筑琉璃瓦屋顶
BIG reimagines the glazed ceramic tiled roof of traditional Chinese teahouses with glass tiles
▲ 这属于苏州13公里湖滨步道活化计划
part of Suzhou’s initiative to activate the 13-kilometer lakeside promenade
▲ 翘起的屋顶边缘形成通高入口空间
the lifted edges of the roof create generous double-height entrances
▲ 每个建筑体块分别拥有不同的使用功能
each of the four volumes houses a distinct program
▲ 展馆内设有咖啡馆、精品店、餐厅和游客中心
the pavilion accommodates a café, a boutique, a restaurant, and a visitor center
▲ 透明的玻璃幕墙与景观建立了联系
transparent glass facades establish a connection with the landscape
▲ 双层穿孔遮阳系统可全天过滤光线
a two-layered perforated shading system filters light throughout the day
▲ 抛光钢表面反射光线和绿色植物
polished steel surfaces reflect light and greenery
▲ 建筑的公共空间
a space for public gatherings and hospitality
▲ 入口空间引导游客进入庭院
double-height entrances that draw visitors into the courtyard
▲ 遮阳系统包括集成在玻璃组件中的外层和内天花板层
the shading system includes an outer layer integrated into a glass assembly and an inner ceiling layer