Commercial ETFE Membrane Facade for Suzhou Science & Technology City Floating Pavilion

Located in Suzhou High-Tech Zone, the Floating Pavilion project was conceived as a comprehensive renewal of the entrance plaza serving an underground parking facility. For years, the sunken space primarily functioned as a circulation corridor, with its physical form reinforcing the enclosed and oppressive perception commonly associated with underground environments. Although heavily used for movement, it lacked the qualities necessary to support public interaction, rest, or meaningful urban activity.

Design Strategy 01: Reframing the Underground Entrance Through a “Sunken–Floating” Relationship

The design introduces a floating ETFE membrane canopy above the existing sunken plaza, establishing a clear spatial dialogue between the elevated structure and the depressed ground plane.

This “sunken–floating” composition visually reduces the perceived weight of the underground environment while creating a recognizable architectural identity. The lightweight membrane structure provides weather protection and defines a new public interface for the space. Rather than functioning solely as an access point, the underground entrance becomes an identifiable urban destination with a strong sense of place.

Design Strategy 02: Transforming a Transit Node into a Public Courtyard

While maintaining all existing circulation functions, the project reorganizes the plaza through landscaped gardens and elevated platform systems.

The intervention introduces opportunities for waiting, resting, and informal social activities within a space that was previously dedicated almost entirely to movement. Visitors no longer simply pass through the site; they are encouraged to pause, interact, and engage with the environment. This shift significantly improves the social value of the plaza and enhances the overall user experience.

Design Strategy 03: Minimal Physical Intervention, Maximum Spatial Impact

Instead of relying on extensive reconstruction, the project employs a strategy of minimal spatial modification to redefine the public role of the underground entrance.

The sunken plaza is no longer perceived as a void within the urban fabric. Through the reconfiguration of structural relationships and public circulation, the space becomes a connector between upper and lower city levels while accommodating a wider range of public activities.

This approach demonstrates how lightweight membrane architecture can unlock new possibilities within existing urban infrastructure, creating functional and socially engaging environments through targeted interventions rather than large-scale redevelopment.