The 646,000-square-foot Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, scheduled to open in 2025, is being built as a village of 12 pavilions, offering a modern interpretation of the elements that have defined Suzhou’s urbanism, architecture and landscape for centuries.

© Justin Szeremeta

Designed by the architectural and design firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and collaborators ARTS Group and Front Inc., Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art is part of the city’s revitalization of the Jinji Lake area and will recreate the traditional garden lang, a line that traces a path, framing gardens with outdoor art installations and coming together as pavilions. The design of the museum will take visitors on a fascinating journey through art, nature and water.

The museum’s main design element is the roof, which extends into a pattern of eaves that will double as sheltered walkways through the site. Knots in the thread of the walkways will frame the pavilions, allowing the museum’s architecture to flow through the landscape, tying “water to land, city to nature, and people to history.” Draping walkways will extend out into Jinji Lake, which can be regarded from above while on the Suzhou Ferris wheel.

© ATCHAIN

Four of the museum’s 12 pavilions comprise the main gallery experience of Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, and the remaining pavilions will feature a multifunction hall for events and lectures, a theater, restaurant and a grand entrance.

Defined by sloping roof eaves, each pavilion’s façade is made of rippled and curved glass, as well as warm-toned stainless steel reflecting the garden colors. The pavilions are connected above and underground via bridges and tunnels, offering the museum flexibility to plan exhibition flow according to seasons and exhibited art pieces. Paths leading through the site will be covered with natural stone.

“The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art is a tribute to the rich garden heritage of Suzhou,” said Catherine Huang, partner in charge, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. “The design teams envision the museum as a traditional element of Suzhou gardens, gracefully winding through the landscapes and transforming into pavilions. In doing so, it frames the contemporary gardens, making them an integral part of the exhibition, as significant as the artwork within.”

© BIG

Arriving at the museum, visitors will be faced with an expansive, welcoming plaza in front of the Visitor Center, which doubles as the entry point to the museum. From there, visitors proceed with their visit inside or along the exterior, through the gardens and to the water bank. Visitors can follow a continuous path through the museum’s interior, or follow one of those it feeds into, allowing one to wander depending on visitors’ plans or weather conditions during their visit. A home for all types of culture, Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art will also house a theater in one of its pavilions.