With rapid development of local fabrication industry in the suburban of SUZHOU city, the local clothing enterprises are in despair need of a comprehensive mix-use industry park that undertakes sales, exhibitions, offices, factories and supporting accommodation. This would integrate both online e-commerce and retail outlets (production/customization/factory showcases/quarterly trade fairs) into one architecture.
THE SITE:
Our site is situated in the central of those industries area, with the unique geographic feature in SUZHOU, the site was composed with varies of small plots with irregular boundary shapes and rivers running through. This became the main challenge of the project also the inspiration of the concept.
THE CONCEPT:
With demand of varies of coherent functional requirements such as factories + exhibitions + offices + dormitories + art studios, we use three "RIBBENS" to connect different functional volumes. The undulations of the RIBBENS follow the needs of different functional areas. The RIBBENS also enclose two courtyards: An open-air atrium that open towards office blocks which acts as vertical circulation and places for catwalk fashion shows; an outdoor lawn square for outdoor activities such as public release conference. At the same time, the ups and downs of the roof symbolize both the fluidity of fabric art and the iconic grey tiled roof in Yangtze River Delta region.