Suzhou, China. 1994.

This commercial centre is situated in the sensitive inner city of Suzhou, a place with 2,500 years of history, also known as the “Venice of the East,” with its fabeled gardens and stately mansions. The design attempts to capture the architectural spirit of old Suzhou by assembling traditional architectural elements together in a new grouped form. The interior is equipped with modern facilities for shopping and entertainment. The top of the building adopts traditional roof forms. It acts as a skylight bringing daylight into the shopping atrium while retaining a layer of hot air that works like heat insulation for environmental protection. Our design is both green and vernacular, a powerful statement of sustainable architecture.