Project Name: Jinji Lake Pavilion

Location: Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

Design Team: BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)

Total Floor Area: 1,200 m²

Completion: 2025

Photography: StudioSZ Photo / Justin Szeremeta

Feature:

Project - BIG has reimagined the traditional Chinese courtyard typology through the Jinji Lake Pavilion project. This 1,200-square-meter public structure, located along Suzhou's Jinji Lake waterfront, is one of eleven permanent pavilions designed to create a vibrant promenade in the area.

The project's most distinctive feature is its innovative "pixelated leaves" roof system. This dual-layer canopy combines perforated shading elements with glass tiles, providing optimal thermal performance while creating dappled shadow patterns reminiscent of natural foliage. The building is organized as four interconnected volumes around a courtyard, housing a coffee shop, boutique, restaurant, and visitor center.

The pavilion engages with its surroundings through generous glass facades and polished steel surfaces that reflect natural light and greenery. Four dramatically lifted double-height entrances guide visitors into the central courtyard, where a single tree serves as a tranquil focal point. This design not only pays homage to traditional Chinese teahouse architecture but elevates it through the use of contemporary materials.

Design Team - Founded in 2006, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has emerged as one of the most influential contemporary architecture practices, revolutionizing the architectural landscape through its innovative approach to sustainable design and urban development. Operating from strategic global hubs in Copenhagen, New York City, London, Barcelona, Shenzhen, Oslo, and Los Angeles, BIG has established itself as a multidisciplinary powerhouse encompassing architecture, urbanism, interior design, landscape architecture, product design, engineering, and urban planning.

Under the creative direction of founder Bjarke Ingels and a robust leadership team of 24 partners, including key figures such as Andreas Klok Pedersen, Beat Schenk, and Sheela Maini Sogaard as CEO, the practice has grown to employ over 700 professionals worldwide. BIG's design philosophy, often characterized by its pragmatic utopian architecture, combines innovative sustainable solutions with playful spatial experiences, resulting in transformative projects across diverse scales and typologies.

The firm's portfolio showcases groundbreaking projects such as the waste-to-energy plant Amager Bakke with its pioneering ski slope integration, the innovative "courtscraper" VIA 57 West in Manhattan, and the recently completed supertall The Spiral in New York City. BIG's commitment to sustainability is exemplified through their integrated LEAPP approach, combining Landscape, Engineering, Architecture, Planning, and Product Design in a holistic methodology.

Notable recent achievements include the completion of their new Copenhagen headquarters in 2024, featuring innovative Uni-Green concrete technology, and winning prestigious commissions such as the Vltava Philharmonic Hall in Prague and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville. The practice continues to push boundaries in architectural innovation through BIG IDEAS Lab, their research and development division, which explores cutting-edge technologies and sustainable solutions for future-oriented architecture.