Soochow Securities Headquarters

Within Suzhou, China, the office and stock exchange building is sited along the western edge of Jinji Lake in Suzhou Industrial Park, a major commercial and mixed-use district outside the city center. Prominently anchoring a major boulevard that leads to central Suzhou, the building is conceived as a modern gateway to the historic city center. The triangular massing design responds contextually to the view corridors of the city and lake, the solar orientation of the site, and the major diagonal vehicular artery. The triangular form is also seen symbolically in China as a balanced and stable form, an image well suited to a stock exchange headquarters.

The signature feature of the design is a soaring internal atrium that rises the full height of the building and is enclosed with a dramatic, engineered triangular skylight. The interconnectivity of the atrium creates a commanding presence, allowing access to natural light and views from all locations within. The building enclosure is designed to minimize the overall energy consumption of the building. The triangular building form creates a self-shading massing that minimizes the east and west exposure, allowing for easier control of solar gain along the south facade. A high-performance shingled tower facade is employed to provide passive shading during the warmest summer months.