Jiangnan House Changyuan In Suzhou / Atelier Deshaus

Architects: Atelier Deshaus
Area: 833 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Fangfang Tian, Hai Zhu
Landscape: YIYU Design
Lighting Consultant: Chenyi Design Construction Consultance (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Construction: Shanghai Jianwei Cultural Heritage Conservation Tech. Co., Ltd,
Interior Construction: Shanghai Yinlong Architecture Decoration and Greening Co., Ltd.
Garden Construction: Suzhou Garden Development Co., Ltd.
Design Team: Liu Yichun, Shen Wen, Ji Hongliang, Shi Yujie
Interior Design: Atelier Deshaus, KONO Designs
Team of Kono Design: Yoshimi Kono, Minglu Zheng
Team of Signyan Design: Xie Ke, Zhi Hongxin, Zheng Yajia, Li Qian, Zhang Lin, Wu Siyu, Long Jiao
Design Period: October 2021 – May 2022
Client: Suzhou Wanxianggengxin Asset Management Ltd.
Operation: Vanke Jiangnan House
Interior and Furnishings: SIGNYAN DESIGN
Construction Drawings: Suzhou Dongwu Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd.
Restoration: Suzhou Garden Development Co., Ltd.
City: Su Zhou Shi
Country: China

Jiangnan House Changyuan in Suzhou, designed by Atelier Deshaus, is a project focused on the preservation and adaptive reuse of garden heritage. This initiative by Suzhou Famous City Protection Group and Jiangnan House involves renovating a classical garden from the late Qing Dynasty to create an integrated hotel experience, blending traditional architecture with modern elements.

Jiangnan house changyuan in suzhou / atelier deshaus

Jiangnan House Changyuan in Suzhou is a preservation and adaptive reuse project undertaken by the Suzhou Famous City Protection Group and Jiangnan House.

Located at 22 Miaotang Street, west of Suzhou City, Changyuan is a classical garden built in the late Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of about one Chinese Mu (0.16 acre), it features a delicate spatial layout and an exquisite garden landscape. Though the garden part of Changyuan was once destroyed and later restored, it has never been open to the public and appeared rather decayed at the beginning of this project. The residential part on the west side has been divided and altered by former residents, with partial damage and incremental building disturbing the spatial structure, which is still under restoration. However, the buildings and courtyards to the east, historically less connected to the gardens, formed a coherent whole with Changyuan spatially.

The eastern side of Changyuan comprises three independent layers of courtyards, with an entrance on Miaotang Street. Previously rented by a company as a workspace, the narrow east-west width limited the functional space due to the circulation areas across the courtyards. The first row along Miaotang Street is a traditional wood-structure gate building, renovated in the 1980s. The two middle rows are modern brick-concrete structures with sloped roofs built in the 1980s and 1990s. The last row on the north side is a similar brick-concrete structure decorated in an antique style. Due to the proximity to Changyuan, these buildings are classified with different protection levels, requiring the renovation design to adhere to strict protection restrictions, particularly for the gables and courtyards of Changyuan.

The original building’s depth naturally formed three small courtyards (south, middle, and north), with an additional small courtyard between the last row of houses and the rear wall, previously inaccessible. Since these courtyards are connected with the cloister of Changyuan on the west side, the external space of the grouped houses can expand toward the garden.

Considering various factors, the design needed to fully utilize the existing interior space under strict protection restrictions, maximize the number of guest rooms, and ensure rooms benefited from courtyard views while maintaining privacy for guests. The inner corridor within the east buildings was removed, allowing guests to enter the three courtyards via Changyuan’s garden and access their rooms through courtyard corridors. This design incorporates the garden and courtyards into the guest experience rather than treating them solely as visual spaces. To enhance privacy, the gate building on the south features a skylight, providing additional light to the bathroom and bedroom while serving as the room’s entrance. Other rooms maintain privacy through courtyard plants and rocks, with a fence added to the north courtyard to prevent visual disturbance. Skylights, corridors, fences, plants, and rocks combine to create a landscape atmosphere with ample privacy, ensuring high spatial quality.

The cluster of buildings includes traditional Chinese architecture with wood structures and modern structures, initially having different interior atmospheres. As an integrated hotel, the interiors required a sense of coordination and integrity. A minor frame system of wooden beams was introduced to adjust the separation, scale, and atmosphere of the indoor space. This arrangement encourages movement around the columns, evoking a sense of familiarity with ancient buildings. The wooden frame system allows for simpler designs for other interfaces, with furniture coordinated to unify the diverse spaces.