Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art Designed by BIG
The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art project has been successfully completed. The museum was designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). It is located in Jinji Lake, Suzhou, China, with a total area of 60,000 square meters. The complex is conceived as a village of 12 connected pavilions, unified under a single, ribbon-like roof structure.
The design offers a modern interpretation of the historic Suzhou gardens. These garden traditions have shaped the city’s landscape for centuries. The museum’s construction was undertaken by Suzhou Harmony Development Group Co. Ltd. The official public opening is scheduled for 2026.
The architecture directly references the local “lang” element. “Lang” is a long, covered corridor found in classical Suzhou gardens. Ten interconnected pavilions are complete under the continuous roof.
The curves on the roof reflect the traditional silhouette of tiled eaves. The final two pavilions will be built next year. They will extend over Jinji Lake and connect to the main structure via enclosed walkways.
BIG Founder Bjarke Ingels stated the design functions as a garden of pavilions and courtyards. Glazed galleries and porticoes connect each pavilion. This creates a “Chinese knot” of courtyards and exhibition spaces.
Ingels also described the museum as branching out like a rhizome. It extends between the legs of the nearby Ferris wheel. This connection links the city to the lake. The resulting area is a man-made maze of plants and artworks. The design logic is best understood when viewed from the gondolas above.
The roof is covered with stainless steel tiles. This cladding forms a true fifth facade when viewed from above.
The facades are clad in warm-toned stainless steel. There are also coverings with curved, rippled glass panels. This material choice reflects the surrounding sky, water, and gardens.
Bridges and tunnels connect the 12 connected pavilions on the upper and lower floors. The rooms frame a series of gardens and courtyards. Walkways extend from the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art grounds toward Jinji Lake. Natural light enters the galleries through windows and skylights. Four pavilions house the main exhibition spaces. Other pavilions include a cafe, a theater, a multipurpose hall, and a large entrance lobby.
The museum aims to achieve China’s GBEL 2-Star Green Building certification (Green Building Evaluation Label) through the integration of passive shading and natural ventilation. Locally sourced materials were also used.
The Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art will open with the “Materialism” exhibition, curated by BIG. The exhibition explores how various materials shape BIG’s architecture. These materials include stone, earth, concrete, metal, glass, wood, fabric, plastic, plants, and recyclables.
Visitors can interact with models of 20 BIG projects. These include the Google Bay View campus, The Plus furniture factory, the Danish Maritime Museum, and the firm’s Copenhagen headquarters.
Gallery seating areas are constructed from specific materials being displayed. These materials include rammed earth, terrazzo, and yellow rust stone. Suzhou MoCA joins BIG’s global cultural portfolio. This list includes The Twist in Norway, Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Switzerland, and the LEGO Museum in Denmark.
BIG was founded in 2005 by Bjarke Ingels in Copenhagen. Today, it is a globally recognized architecture firm. The office works across diverse disciplines, including architecture, urban design, landscape, and research. Bjarke Ingels’ core philosophy is to call architecture “Formgiving” and often focuses on the concept of “Hedonistic Sustainability . BIG is known for combining complex programs and challenging constraints with humorous and creative solutions.
The firm’s leading projects include cultural and infrastructural structures such as LEGO House (Denmark), VIA 57 West (New York), and CopenHill/Amager Bakke
Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art
Project Details
Project Name: Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art
Location Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Gross Area: 60,000 m²
Client: Suzhou Harmony Development Group Co. Ltd.
Owner: Suzhou Industrial Park Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau
General Design BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
Partners in Charge Bjarke Ingels, Catherine Huang
Project Manager Molly Hsiao Rou Huang
Project Architect Tyrone Cobcroft, Kekoa Charlot, Tseng-Hsuan Wei
Design Leader Matteo Pavanello
Collaborators ARTS Group Co, Front Inc, Shanghai Shuishi Landscape Design Co, Rdesign International Lighting
Architect Team Aileen Koh, Amanda Lima Soares Da Cuncha, Arda Özker Cincin, Athena Morella, Chih-Han Chen, Christian Vang Madsen, Cris Guoyu Liu, Desislava Georgieva, Eddie Can, Eric Wen Tung Li, Federico Martínez De Sola Monereo, Filip Fot, Filippo Cartapani, Finn Nørkjær, Haochen Yu, Huiyao Fu, Izabella Banas, Jakub Kulisa, Jan Magasanik, Jana Semaan, Jason Cheuk Hei Lee, Jiaqi Yang, Jiawen Huang, Julia Wilkosz, Jurica Pajic, Mathis Paul Gebauer, Megan Nhat Xuan Dang, Narisara Ladawal Schröder, Ole Elkjær-Larsen, Oliver Steen, Paula Domka, Pei Huang, Philip Kaefer, Phoebe Cowen, Riad Tabbara, Romain Thijsen, Shu Du, Sol Anaid Chaocon Levin, Tarek Shater, Todor Todorov Rusev, Tomasz Jakubowski, Xavier Thanki, Yanis Amasri Sierra, Yihan Liu, Yingying Guan, Zahra Khademi, Zhonghan Huang, Zuzana Faskova.
BIG Engineering Team Andrea Hektor, Adele Scampoli, Alexander Gale Heiede, Andreas Bak, Bjarke Koch-Ørvad, Cristina Minguela, Ingrid Albina Oliva Lampa, Janis Bronka, Jens Max Jensen, Jesús Fernández Lindqvist, Jonathan Russell, Kannan Selvaraj, Konstantinos Koutsoupakis, Maria Capuozzo, Miles Treacy, Thomas Lejeune, Tim Christensen.
