Dialogue: On the Architectural, Opportunistic, and Evolving Suzhou in Flux: 对谈：当代苏州建筑的进取与创变

Suzhou is a very interesting place because it sits between Shanghai and Nanjing, and in that sense, it acts as a buffer to the east and a field of development to the west. Because of that, many internationals choose Suzhou, not necessarily because it is a busy city, but because it offers another quality: a connection to nature and the environment.
Many of the projects we saw today, whether high-end or smaller pavilions around the lake, are about liveability. So the question is: what is the quality of life it offers people who live here in Suzhou? This is a very different cultural mix. compared to other big cities. It is a mixture of people who really call it home. It is not so transient. It is a big city, but not so big. And people really call Suzhou home for very different reasons. This is where we, with architecture, can respond.
I want to introduce a term: "Suzhou Thinking." So how does creative expression come into a Suzhou context? And that is what makes it really valuable: the context is family-oriented, people-oriented, and sustainable.
The connection with nature, with water, and all these little details-these are mixed, and they are super unique, which no other city can offer.
For example, something like the Expo, which is traditionally an architectural moment about the future and possibilities. But somehow it happens here already, though not under that kind of theme of an expo. If you look at the different architecture from small to big, from very international companies to local ones, it already shows a very strong future thinking.
I actually want to establish an architectural gallery. not a museum that is too big, but a gallery that can show architectural works regularly, with discussions like the ones we have here today, maybe monthly or every two weeks. That can serve as an exchange for learning architecture, discussing architecture, and building a connection to the community. So, it is a discussion between experts. But it can also be a discussion between ordinary people and experts. Such a gallery can really run on a very low budget if the content is produced naturally. We have a lot of competitions; we have a lot of new works that developers have done. This is a venue where we showcase this material. It is basically showcasing what is here in the magazine and bringing it out to a different audience.