Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Suzhou Museum of Science and Technology
Spring 2019, by Chenjia Ren

"Twilight", the mysterious moment in Japanese, refers to the moment when day and night alternate. The light makes the outline of things blurred, and the world enters the period when ghosts and human beings coexist.

Located near Tiger Hill (a traditional Chinese tower over 1000 years old) in Suzhou, the site is saturated with memories and stories. This project proposes a museum that not only exhibits but also reconnects the two worlds (mysterious and realistic) once again.

As shown by the project 'After the Flood', Suzhou is a city made of water. Those winding canals carry the memory and culture of Suzhou. This contemporary museum aims to revive the hidden world by weaving curves extracted from the site - weaving the memories.

At Twilight, the museum looks like a giant animal lying on the ground, breathing out the stories of the past.

Suzhou Public Library
by Qian Kexin, Spring 2020

Inspired by the interaction of the vortex forcefields in the urban plan, the museum seeks to provide dynamic interactive spaces of different scales and light densities. Natural light has been an important design element to ensure a comfortable level of indirect light in the reading spaces. The three levels are connected spatially and visually to create a diverse spatial experience of the new library.

Suzhou Museum of Science and Technology
by Yuanayuana Lin, Spring 2019

Inspired by the ancient craft of fabric weaving, the museum consists of a series of transparent internal spaces connected via a hovering roof. Five glass pods of different scales and heights form the exhibition spaces. The roof is made of intersecting timber beams, each flowing freely from one end of the museum to the other end. These beams come down at six points to meet the ground, forming vertical structures that are naturally integrated with the horizontal beams. Structural and environmental analysis were conducted on the roof structure to determine the light openings on the roof and their impact on the interior.

Suzhou Public Library
by Jingfiei Shao, Spring, 2020

Inspired by water ripple movement on a still water surface in Suzhou canals, the library harbours a series of dynamic spaces that were formed with three overlapping strips, resembling the effect of water ripples. Beams of natural light are carefully designed to create a well-lit interior and to avoid direct light on the reading spaces.

Suzhou Public Library
by Yujia Li, Spring 2020

Inspired 

Suzhou Museum of Science and Technology
by Ziyi Shao, Spring 2019

Inspired ….