T he museum is scheduled for completion in The draping walkways further extend out into Jinji Lake, which can be regarded from above while on the Suzhou Ferris wheel. Arriving at the museum, the visitor will be met by an expansive, welcoming plaza in front of the Visitor Centre and main entrance. From here, visitors will be able to proceed with their visit inside or along the exterior, through the gardens and to the waterfront.
T he individual gardens will gradually change from mineral to green to finally water-themed planting , as the visitors move to wards the waterfront. Our design for the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art is conceived as a Chinese garden of pavilions and courtyards. Individual pavilions are woven together by glazed galleries and porticoes, creating a network of interconnected sculpture courtyards and exhibition spaces.
Weaving between the Ferris wheel legs, the museum branches out like a rhizome, connecting the city to the lake. The result is a manmade maze of plants and artworks to get lost within. Its nodular logic only becomes distinctly discernible when viewed from the gondolas above. Against the open space of the lake, the gentle catenary curvature of the roofs forms a graceful silhouette on the waterfront.
Viewed from above, the stainless roof tiles form a true fifth facade. The pavilions are connected a bove- and under ground via bridges and tunnel s , offering the museum flexibility to plan exhibition flow according to seasons and exhibited art pieces.
T he paths leading through the site will be covered with natural stone. In doing so, it frames the contemporary gardens, making them an integral part of the exhibition, as significant as the artwork within. The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art was recognized as a national landmark in China in June , when it was featured on an official postage stamp issued by China Post to celebrate the successful development of Suzhou Industrial Park and the urban landscape around Jinji Lake.
