Shan shui is a Chinese expression that, roughly translated, means the union of mountain and lake. It is this phrase that proved to be the inspiration for the new Suzhou Science & Technology Museum designed by Perkins+Will.
The museum will become the new centerpiece of a new cultural district in Shishan Park, located about 62 miles northwest of Shanghai. The museum sits at the foot of Lion Mountain and next to Shishan Lake (hence the shan shui inspiration) and will encompass 600,000 sf of space. Included in this space is a 66,700-sf industrial exhibition hall, where exhibits will highlight the role of industrial development.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
The ribbon-like form of the museum emerges from the base of Lion Mountain and twists upward before it turns back on itself to cantilever out over the edge of Shishan Lake. Several man-made, teardrop-shaped, planted Eco Islands will stipple the lake. These islands will act as a filtration system and be connected by a walkway to the museum.
Visitors can arrive at the museum from several approaches. Those arriving by subway will be guided into the museum along a shallow ramp to the circular promenade that surrounds the park. Those coming by car or bus will enter through a formal plaza with reflecting pools and gathering spaces dubbed the “Discovery Court.”
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
Once visitors enter the museum, via whichever approach they desire, they will be greeted by a three-story atrium adjacent to a sunken water-filled courtyard that includes several small planted islands meant to reflect the Eco Islands in Shishan Lake.
Each level within the museum has access to natural daylight. The museum’s third level comprises “Lion Mountain Terrace,” which stretches out over the Eco Islands and frames Lion Mountain in the distance. This isn’t the only way the museum highlights sustainability and the environment, though.
A “Life-Giving Forest” outside the museum provides an air filtration buffer to the city and a unique place for outdoor exhibits. Public pedestrian walkways where the museum meets the lake wind through the Eco Islands and the wetlands with signage that guide guests to explore water purification, storm water management, and sustainable living.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
A 3D metal mesh skin transitions from opaque to transparent to control daylight and solar gain and permeable paving systems and bioswales allow rain water to percolate directly into the ground of be directed toward the planted vegetation to be filtered naturally. Additionally, the construction of wetlands and Eco Islands will improve the water quality of Shishan Lake and make it a healthier habitat for wildlife and visitors.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
“Our design recognizes the importance of Suzhou in China’s commercial history, and underscores its role at the forefront of China’s emergence as a technology leader and innovator,” says Ralph Johnson, Global Design Director of Perkins+Will.
Perkins+Will previous design work in China includes the Shanghai Natural History Museum, which opened in 2015.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
Related Stories
Museums | Oct 1, 2024
UT Dallas opens Morphosis-designed Crow Museum of Asian Art
In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district. When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.
Museums | Aug 29, 2024
Bjarke Ingels' Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art conceived as village of 12 pavilions
The 60,000-sm Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China recently topped out. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the museum is conceived as a village of 12 pavilions, offering a modern interpretation of the elements that have defined the city’s urbanism, architecture, and landscape for centuries.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 21, 2024
Baltimore’s National Aquarium opens 10,000-sf floating wetland that mimics the harbor’s original tidal marsh habitat
The National Aquarium in Baltimore has opened the National Aquarium Harbor Wetland, a 10,000-sf floating wetland that mimics the Inner Harbor’s original Chesapeake Bay tidal marsh habitat. Located between Piers 3 and 4 on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the $14 million project features more than 32,000 native shrubs and marsh grasses.
Museums | Aug 19, 2024
The Tampa Museum of Art will soon undergo a $110 million expansion
In Tampa, Fla., the Tampa Museum of Art will soon undergo a 77,904-sf Centennial Expansion project. The museum plans to reach its $110 million fundraising goal by late 2024 or early 2025 and then break ground. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi, and with construction manager The Beck Group, the expansion will redefine the museum’s surrounding site.
Museums | Jun 20, 2024
Connecticut’s Bruce Museum more than doubles its size with a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition
In Greenwich, Conn., the Bruce Museum, a multidisciplinary institution highlighting art, science, and history, has undergone a campus revitalization and expansion that more than doubles the museum’s size. Designed by EskewDumezRipple and built by Turner Construction, the project includes a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition as well as a comprehensive renovation of the 32,500-sf museum, which was originally built as a private home in the mid-19th century and expanded in the early 1990s.
Libraries | Jun 7, 2024
7 ways to change 'business as usual': The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
One hundred forty years ago, Theodore Roosevelt had a vision that is being realized today. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is a cutting-edge example of what’s possible when all seven ambitions are pursued to the fullest from the beginning and integrated into the design at every phase and scale.
Headquarters | Jun 5, 2024
Several new projects are upgrading historic Princeton, N.J.
Multifamily, cultural, and office additions are among the new construction.
Museums | May 20, 2024
Museum design connects art, architecture, and nature
Three recent examples show how landscape views enhance exhibit space.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 8, 2024
Multipurpose sports facility will be first completed building at Obama Presidential Center
When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus. Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 27, 2024
Kansas City’s new Sobela Ocean Aquarium home to nearly 8,000 animals in 34 habitats
Kansas City’s new Sobela Ocean Aquarium is a world-class facility home to nearly 8,000 animals in 34 habitats ranging from small tanks to a giant 400,000-gallon shark tank.
