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SOL37 at W Hotel Suzhou
SOL37 at W Hotel Suzhou
Suzhou, China
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SOL37 at W Hotel Suzhou
Suzhou, China
Firm
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2023
SIZE
10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft
At SOL37, Atelier INDJ explores how an interior can behave like a living environment while remaining firmly rooted in architectural discipline. Curved forms, Mediterranean stone, jade-like veining and local craftsmanship shape a terraced dining landscape overlooking Jinji Lake, where each gesture is calibrated rather than ornamental. Kinetic elements are absorbed into the spatial logic — guiding light, rhythm and perception without becoming spectacle. By framing dining as a ritual of discovery, the project establishes a dialogue between cultures and materials, allowing technology to recede into the background of a composed, atmospheric sequence. The result is a hospitality environment where craft, movement and context merge into a single coherent whole.
Project Description
Atelier INDJ has completed SOL37, a two-level dining and bar destination on the 37th and 38th floors of Suzhou Center — a 370-metre tower overlooking the local scenic Jinji Lake. The project forms the signature Spanish fusion restaurant and executive lounge of W Hotel Suzhou, with an all-day dining floor below and a more intimate dinner-and-night-bar venue above.
The arrival experience becomes a carefully choreographed prelude Guests embark on a challenging 2:50-minute journey from the ground-level reception to the 37th-floor arrival sequence. A 30-metre dark corridor creates a contemplative transition before revealing the full panorama of Jinji Lake. At the midpoint of the tunnel, Solar Bloom — a kinetic installation — opens its mirrored petals in response to approaching footsteps, offering a moment of surprise and warmth within the shadowed passage.
Situated between lake and sky, the interior takes its formal cues from the ripples of the lake surface. Rounded geometries recur throughout: a 3-metre high ripple patterned glass partition refracts natural light at the corridor’s end, island seating clusters soften the scale of the floorplate, and a sculptural spiral stair connects the two levels. The 37th-floor dining zone features a modular gypsum ceiling shaped with subtle wave-like undulations, improving acoustics while echoing the surrounding landscape. Across both floors, bespoke furniture, railings, lighting pieces and bar islands continue the curving language.
A luminous sculptural spine — Lunar Drift — threads through the double-height volume. Composed of 1,150 elliptical glass panels, the installation shifts in tone and form like phases of the moon, linking the more grounded dining environment with the energetic bar above. It acts as both an atmospheric anchor and a guiding beacon.
Terraced floor levels and subtly sloped ceilings ensure that even seats away from the façade maintain a visual connection to the lake. The spatial section is carefully tuned to frame horizons and maximise daylight.
Materiality reflects a dialogue between cultures. Verde marble, commonly seen in Mediterranean interiors and visually reminiscent of Chinese jade, serves as the project’s connective tissue — appearing from the building’s 1F reception all the way to the bar’s seating islands. Timber pockets warm the transitional spaces in the 30-metre corridor, brass details bring soft luminosity, and contrasting dark and warm tones delineate day and night: charcoal timber on Level 37 references the restaurant’s signature Josper-charred steak, while high-hue orange tones on Level 38 evoke the golden-hour glow over the lake.
All furniture and fit-out components were sourced and fabricated locally, reflecting Atelier INDJ’s commitment to durability, material intelligence, and conscientious resource use. Rather than pursue short-lived spectacle or themed venue-making, SOL37 aims for longevity — a design shaped by experience, context and cultural exchange. The result is a rare convergence of interior architecture, immersive art and hospitality — an environment that feels alive.
Project Info
Design Architect: Atelier INDJ
Location: 37F, W Hotel, Building 7, Suzhou Center, Suzhou, China.
Client: Suzhou Hengtai Holding
Design team: Ian Douglas-Jones, Sabrina Douglas-Jones, Yi Yuan, Luke Lin, Laura Polvara, Yuan Xiang, Jessica Chen, Qi Zheng, Jeffrey Kuo, Julia Pan
Photography: Boris Shiu, Zhenru Zhang, Ian Douglas-Jones
Video Credit: Drew Drones
Project Description
Atelier INDJ has completed SOL37, a two-level dining and bar destination on the 37th and 38th floors of Suzhou Center — a 370-metre tower overlooking the local scenic Jinji Lake. The project forms the signature Spanish fusion restaurant and executive lounge of W Hotel Suzhou, with an all-day dining floor below and a more intimate dinner-and-night-bar venue above.
The arrival experience becomes a carefully choreographed prelude Guests embark on a challenging 2:50-minute journey from the ground-level reception to the 37th-floor arrival sequence. A 30-metre dark corridor creates a contemplative transition before revealing the full panorama of Jinji Lake. At the midpoint of the tunnel, Solar Bloom — a kinetic installation — opens its mirrored petals in response to approaching footsteps, offering a moment of surprise and warmth within the shadowed passage.
Situated between lake and sky, the interior takes its formal cues from the ripples of the lake surface. Rounded geometries recur throughout: a 3-metre high ripple patterned glass partition refracts natural light at the corridor’s end, island seating clusters soften the scale of the floorplate, and a sculptural spiral stair connects the two levels. The 37th-floor dining zone features a modular gypsum ceiling shaped with subtle wave-like undulations, improving acoustics while echoing the surrounding landscape. Across both floors, bespoke furniture, railings, lighting pieces and bar islands continue the curving language.
A luminous sculptural spine — Lunar Drift — threads through the double-height volume. Composed of 1,150 elliptical glass panels, the installation shifts in tone and form like phases of the moon, linking the more grounded dining environment with the energetic bar above. It acts as both an atmospheric anchor and a guiding beacon.
Terraced floor levels and subtly sloped ceilings ensure that even seats away from the façade maintain a visual connection to the lake. The spatial section is carefully tuned to frame horizons and maximise daylight.
Materiality reflects a dialogue between cultures. Verde marble, commonly seen in Mediterranean interiors and visually reminiscent of Chinese jade, serves as the project’s connective tissue — appearing from the building’s 1F reception all the way to the bar’s seating islands. Timber pockets warm the transitional spaces in the 30-metre corridor, brass details bring soft luminosity, and contrasting dark and warm tones delineate day and night: charcoal timber on Level 37 references the restaurant’s signature Josper-charred steak, while high-hue orange tones on Level 38 evoke the golden-hour glow over the lake.
All furniture and fit-out components were sourced and fabricated locally, reflecting Atelier INDJ’s commitment to durability, material intelligence, and conscientious resource use. Rather than pursue short-lived spectacle or themed venue-making, SOL37 aims for longevity — a design shaped by experience, context and cultural exchange. The result is a rare convergence of interior architecture, immersive art and hospitality — an environment that feels alive.
Project Info
Design Architect: Atelier INDJ
Location: 37F, W Hotel, Building 7, Suzhou Center, Suzhou, China.
Client: Suzhou Hengtai Holding
Design team: Ian Douglas-Jones, Sabrina Douglas-Jones, Yi Yuan, Luke Lin, Laura Polvara, Yuan Xiang, Jessica Chen, Qi Zheng, Jeffrey Kuo, Julia Pan
Photography: Boris Shiu, Zhenru Zhang, Ian Douglas-Jones
Video Credit: Drew Drones
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