Architects: Lacime Architects
Area: 1,200 m²
Year: 2019
Photography: Schran Image, Hao Pei
Manufacturers: Skyfold
Lead Architects: Zhaoqing Song, Guangxian Jin
Landscape Design: Shanghai Wendao Landscape Design
Interior Design: WJID
Design Team: Yule Shang, Yi Zhang, Yicong Ju, Xiaoyan Liu
Owner’s Design Team: Hua Yang, Qiang Chen, Yun Hu, Qing Ji, Haiming Nie, Jiasheng Feng
Construction Drawing Design: CSIAD
Curtain Wall Design: Jiawei Curtain Wall Design
Curtain Wall Design Team: Zubao Gui, Anqi Sheng, Yibo Wang
Owner: R&F GROUP, KWG GROUP HOLDINGS
City: Suzhou
Country: China
Suzhou Swan Harbor Park residential building, designed by Lacime Architects in Suzhou, showcases Jiangnan culture through a modern lens. The project, completed in 2019, integrates traditional aesthetics with contemporary design. The building features an enclosed courtyard, transparent floor-to-ceiling glass, and long curtain wall columns that mimic traditional wooden grating. The structure’s exterior includes slates and stainless steel columns, providing a refined look while reducing costs. Indoor spaces incorporate industrial metal plates with graceful curves, blending modern materials with Jiangnan’s ethos to create a space imbued with oriental Zen.
The architects describe Jiangnan, known for “transcending Confucian ethical codes and following nature,” as a region fostering imagination and creativity with its unique, delicate, and graceful aesthetic. This culture, compared with the ethical culture of the Central Plains, is reflected in the harmony between realistic demands and the natural environment. The design aims to integrate Jiangnan culture and traditional Chinese aesthetics into modern life, blending ancient elements with contemporary needs.
The project embodies Jiangnan culture and Suzhou’s cultural heritage through a process of deconstruction and restructuring. Functional blocks form an enclosed courtyard, reflecting traditional Chinese architecture.
One corner of the building bends over water, blending with the landscape and underscoring the unity of heaven and earth, imparting an elegant appearance.
The façade features transparent floor-to-ceiling glass and long curtain wall columns, resembling traditional wooden grating, merging indoor and outdoor spaces. The external walls use southern Chinese slates, creating a contrast with the glass curtain wall. Stainless steel columns, with a trapezoid cross-section, provide a refined look. The segmented glass façade reduces costs, while perforated stainless steel plates add refinement and diversity.
Ultra-clear glass on the façade allows sunlight to illuminate the interior during the day and reveals the interior space when lit at dusk. Indoor industrial metal plates combined with graceful curves and various waveforms highlight Jiangnan’s traditional aesthetics. New materials and techniques illustrate Jiangnan culture, infusing the space with profound oriental Zen meanings.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Yizi Street, Taihu New Town, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
