Nestled in the Herbal Garden of Suzhou’s Expo Park, far from the bustle of the main pavilions, the Round Pavilion by Atelier Guo offers an unexpected oasis of calm. Unlike the grander, more thematic installations elsewhere in the park, this intimate garden is quietly enveloped by exotic vegetation. Its modest presence belies a vibrant public life, where laughter and conversation fill the air, softening the former grandeur and ambitious narratives that once defined this land.
The Round Pavilion is both subtly hidden and wholly accessible. Atelier Guo’s vision was to harness the site’s gentle potential, extending the existing linear corridor and resolving its end with a gesture of convergence. The design borrows the corridor’s white wall as a language of scale and guidance, gently curving the path so that movement unfolds in a continuous gradient. The result is a blurring of direction and geometry, inviting visitors to discover the space intuitively rather than follow strict guidance.
Designer: Atelier Guo (photos by Ziqian Wang, Qingshan Wu)
Within this compact footprint, the elongated corridor amplifies the senses, turning each step into a moment of spatial discovery. As visitors move through the garden, fragmented glimpses and shifting perspectives merge into a unified, immersive experience. Rather than simply creating a pavilion or an extended wall, Atelier Guo approached the project with a light touch, using minimal foundations and a top-down logic. The design maintains the layered feel of the existing pavilions but gives special emphasis to the wall as a defining element. Here, the wall, roof, and ground are clearly distinct from one another. The roof itself is not a solid surface but a structural framework, with shallow eaves that soften the intersections and frame the garden with crisp, upright corners. This approach allows the pavilion to oscillate between the feel of a sculptural installation and a traditional built structure.
A moment of surprise awaits as you step into the pavilion’s core. What was thick and substantial suddenly gives way to thinness and light. Atelier Guo experimented with ultra-thin precast white concrete panels to create suspended walls that balance structural stability with a sense of visual delicacy. The panels’ subtle reflectivity and the soft play of shadows across their curved surfaces give the form a gentle resilience. Against the backdrop of lush greenery, these walls act like screens, catching the light and projecting the landscape as if it were ink-washed silk.
The Round Pavilion by Atelier Guo is a masterful blend of subtlety and innovation. It invites visitors to experience architecture as a journey of discovery and reflection, where movement, material, and landscape harmonize. The result is a peaceful retreat that honors the spirit of the garden, allowing the outside world to slow down and connect with the beauty of simplicity and thoughtful design.
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