The Suzhou Xuanqiao Lane Station TOD Project, Suzhou's inaugural rail transit TOD initiative, focuses on creating an art-and-culture-themed multifunctional area around the station. Inspired by local streets, riversides, and the symbolic "wisteria" flower, the design abstracts Suzhou embroidery and garden arts to recreate a refined lifestyle, aiming to revitalize the area with a unique, exquisite, and eco-friendly commercial atmosphere.

1.DesignConcept:

TOD can be both refined and relaxed: The design fullyleverages the east-west crossing Xuan River through the site, creating aJiangnan garden-inspired atmosphere that also integrates ecological nature anda comfortable, easygoing riverside commercial environment. This relaxedriverside commercial ambiance extends into the commercial alleys, combiningwith the commercial building functions and business distribution. Through therational planning of paving, movable flower pots, courtyard lights, and otherelements, clear static outdoor seating areas and dynamic pedestrian zones areestablished, with functional clarity and transparent views. Human activitiesare clearly visible within the space, attracting people to stroll or linger,reshaping the vibrancy of the site, and achieving urban renewal.

2.Approach：

2.1Commercial Atmosphere Creation: By repairing therelationship between people and water, a rich, natural, and relaxed atmospherealong the river is fostered. Suzhou's natural environment has shaped thelifestyle and spatial form of "When you arrive in Suzhou, you see thatevery household is nestled by the river." However, with urbanization, theconnection between people and water has been disrupted. The landscape designfully utilizes the Xuan River traversing the site, repairing the relationshipamong people, water, and nature, enhancing the accessibility of the watersurface to recreate the intimacy between people and water. This includes thereconstruction of waterfront embankments, softening the banks with naturalvegetation, thereby providing a sense of relaxation and emotional value thatbrings people closer to nature in the heart of Suzhou's ancient city.

2.2Commercial Behavior Space Guidance: The designcontinues the spatial scale and rhythm of the ancient city's streets andalleys, creating a comfortable shopping rhythm experience. The pleasant spatialrhythm of Suzhou's Pingjiang Ancient City naturally encourages people to flowand linger. The landscape design extends the comfortable and惬意的pedestrianspaces and stopping points in terms of spatial scale, attracting subwaypassengers to leisurely stop and recreate the vibrancy of the site.

2.3Five-Senses Experience Creation: Creatively recreatingthe five-sense elements of Pingjiang Road's landscape, fostering a commercialspace atmosphere that blends ancient cityscape characteristics with acontemporary sense of relaxation and comfort.

Visual: Approximately 80% of external informationperceived by humans comes from vision. The human field of view is about 180degrees horizontally and 15 degrees downward, with high attention. Thelandscape design therefore focuses on the visible elements of the ground(paving, low-growing plants), the base of buildings (natural vegetation), humanactivities (strolling, outdoor commercial spaces), and cultural-historicalelements.

Auditory: Soundscapes are created with the sounds offlowing water, the creaking of boats, and the performance of Suzhou pingtan.

Olfactory: The typical plants of Pingjiang AncientCity are used, offering seasonal fragrances throughout the year.

Tactile: The solid and reliable texture of originalstone pavements and embankments, the cool and smooth feel of the river water,the ancient and textured feel of the white walls and black tiles, the warmtouch of wooden windows and doors, and the misty spray sensation.

Gustatory: Experiencing the local specialty businessesand their flavors.

3.SiteCulture and Historical Research：

3.1History of Xuanqiao Lane: This project is a piloturban renewal project for Xuanqiao Lane TOD. Xuanqiao Lane, formerly known asYingchun Lane and later as Xianqiao Lane, has its landscape emblem design basedon the historical significance of Xuanqiao Lane. The design extracts theoverlapping elements from the characters "春"(spring) of Yingchun Lane, "县"(county) of Xianqiao Lane, and "悬"(suspended) of Xuanqiao Lane, using these as prominent threads that connect thethree historical names of the lane, also hinting at the continuity of historyand its contemporary heritage.The refined emblem pattern is applied to the paving of the entrance plaza,while the famous residences within Xuanqiao Lane are recreated in the form ofscroll paintings on the paving, making the history of the lane readable andparticipatory.

3.2Suzhou Embroidery Art: The paving design intends toadhere to the principles of Suzhou embroidery art, which are "flat, neat,fine, dense, harmonious, luminous, smooth, and even." It extracts the"swastika pattern" and "endless knot" from the patternedpavements in Suzhou gardens, synthesizing and transforming them intocharacteristic bases and patterns for the site's paving, which are placed atkey landscape nodes. The atrium landscape draws inspiration from the arcuate curvatureof underground light wells and smoke vents, creating a Suzhouembroidery-inspired atrium "embroidery carpet" paving. This designsubtly传承Suzhou art, allowing peopleto naturally experience the delicate and elegant essence of Suzhou culture andart.

3.3Cultural Context Inheritance: Enhancing the refinementand cultural experience of the site's landscape through details at human scale.At the micro-scale level where people can closely observe, such as flower bedsnext to benches and paving, small installations featuring poems about spring bylocal historical literati of Suzhou (aligning with the former name YingchunLane and the site's renewal attributes) are subtly placed. This allows peopleto inadvertently appreciate the thoughtful efforts behind urban renewal andhistorical inheritance.

3.4The Artistic Conception and Spatial Sequence ofJiangnan Gardens: Limited by the existing site and architectural spaces, thedesign flexibly extracts spatial creation techniques from Jiangnan gardens,such as winding paths leading to secluded spots, a sense of anticipation beforerevelation, and changing views with each step, integrating these into thecurrent site conditions.

3.4.1Commercial Alley Space: In addition to the smokevents, the remaining 2-meter passageway presents a challenge where thelandscape design needs to address the contradiction between a large entranceand a narrow channel to prevent future congestion of pedestrians. The designreduces the size of the large entrance and transforms it into a scenic viewafter crossing a bridge. The 2-meter passageway is converted into a series ofdoorways inspired by the gate systems in Jiangnan gardens, enticing people toexplore through them. The space is fully utilized for outdoor private diningareas. By turning the contradiction into an interesting feature andincorporating the artistic conception and experience of Jiangnan gardens, thedesign enhances the commercial alley space.

3.4.2At the eastern entrance of the site, which is adjacentto the Xuan River, the current uneven embankment provides an opportunity toutilize its form in conjunction with the construction of a wharf to create aspatial sequence in the Jiangnan garden style where the scenery changes witheach step. The wharf is connected to the commercial underground entrancethrough a wisteria trellis, which also serves as a separation, blurring theusage spaces and increasing spatial efficiency. The south facade of the wharf'slandscape architecture is simultaneously crafted to serve as a view towards anart gallery, diversifying the functional and experiential aspects of thewaterfront wharf building. A riverside flower bed demarcates the wharf from thepedestrian and outdoor seating areas, with paving and flower boxes defining aquiet dining zone. The "Wisteria Corridor" at the eastern entrance,the "Plum Pavilion" against the wall, and the "Fragrance RestPavilion" at the boat dock collectively create a Jiangnan garden spacecharacterized by twists and turns, scenes within scenes, and the ability toperceive grandeur in small details. The visual materials used differ from theancient and worn appearance of Pingjiang Road, offering a fresh and novelexperience that blends the new with the old, creating a unique spot forvisitors to take photos.

3.4.3In the middle of the commercial alley, the innercourtyard of the hotel brings a pleasant surprise to the narrow alley space.However, the current space is long and narrow. The landscape design, inconjunction with the architectural facade, divides the inner courtyard intothree sections: the outer courtyard connects to the commercial alley, withsmall trees enriching the green landscape of the alley, and a doorway partiallyconcealing the inner courtyard; the middle and inner courtyards provide a viewfor the hotel's internal sightlines, which is inaccessible to people on thecommercial street. Through techniques such as mound stacking, introducing mapletrees, and creating water features, a serene and Jiangnan garden-inspiredatmosphere is crafted, with vertical changes and rich spatial layers, servingas a picturesque view for the hotel.

The Suzhou Xuanqiao Lane Station TOD Project, Suzhou's inaugural rail transit TOD initiative, focuses on creating an art-and-culture-themed multifunctional area around the station. Inspired by local streets, riversides, and the symbolic "wisteria" flower, the design abstracts Suzhou embroidery and garden arts to recreate a refined lifestyle, aiming to revitalize the area with a unique, exquisite, and eco-friendly commercial atmosphere.

1.DesignConcept:

TOD can be both refined and relaxed: The design fullyleverages the east-west crossing Xuan River through the site, creating aJiangnan garden-inspired atmosphere that also integrates ecological nature anda comfortable, easygoing riverside commercial environment. This relaxedriverside commercial ambiance extends into the commercial alleys, combiningwith the commercial building functions and business distribution. Through therational planning of paving, movable flower pots, courtyard lights, and otherelements, clear static outdoor seating areas and dynamic pedestrian zones areestablished, with functional clarity and transparent views. Human activitiesare clearly visible within the space, attracting people to stroll or linger,reshaping the vibrancy of the site, and achieving urban renewal.

2.Approach：

2.1Commercial Atmosphere Creation: By repairing therelationship between people and water, a rich, natural, and relaxed atmospherealong the river is fostered. Suzhou's natural environment has shaped thelifestyle and spatial form of "When you arrive in Suzhou, you see thatevery household is nestled by the river." However, with urbanization, theconnection between people and water has been disrupted. The landscape designfully utilizes the Xuan River traversing the site, repairing the relationshipamong people, water, and nature, enhancing the accessibility of the watersurface to recreate the intimacy between people and water. This includes thereconstruction of waterfront embankments, softening the banks with naturalvegetation, thereby providing a sense of relaxation and emotional value thatbrings people closer to nature in the heart of Suzhou's ancient city.

2.2Commercial Behavior Space Guidance: The designcontinues the spatial scale and rhythm of the ancient city's streets andalleys, creating a comfortable shopping rhythm experience. The pleasant spatialrhythm of Suzhou's Pingjiang Ancient City naturally encourages people to flowand linger. The landscape design extends the comfortable and惬意的pedestrianspaces and stopping points in terms of spatial scale, attracting subwaypassengers to leisurely stop and recreate the vibrancy of the site.

2.3Five-Senses Experience Creation: Creatively recreatingthe five-sense elements of Pingjiang Road's landscape, fostering a commercialspace atmosphere that blends ancient cityscape characteristics with acontemporary sense of relaxation and comfort.

Visual: Approximately 80% of external informationperceived by humans comes from vision. The human field of view is about 180degrees horizontally and 15 degrees downward, with high attention. Thelandscape design therefore focuses on the visible elements of the ground(paving, low-growing plants), the base of buildings (natural vegetation), humanactivities (strolling, outdoor commercial spaces), and cultural-historicalelements.

Auditory: Soundscapes are created with the sounds offlowing water, the creaking of boats, and the performance of Suzhou pingtan.

Olfactory: The typical plants of Pingjiang AncientCity are used, offering seasonal fragrances throughout the year.

Tactile: The solid and reliable texture of originalstone pavements and embankments, the cool and smooth feel of the river water,the ancient and textured feel of the white walls and black tiles, the warmtouch of wooden windows and doors, and the misty spray sensation.

Gustatory: Experiencing the local specialty businessesand their flavors.

3.SiteCulture and Historical Research：

3.1History of Xuanqiao Lane: This project is a piloturban renewal project for Xuanqiao Lane TOD. Xuanqiao Lane, formerly known asYingchun Lane and later as Xianqiao Lane, has its landscape emblem design basedon the historical significance of Xuanqiao Lane. The design extracts theoverlapping elements from the characters "春"(spring) of Yingchun Lane, "县"(county) of Xianqiao Lane, and "悬"(suspended) of Xuanqiao Lane, using these as prominent threads that connect thethree historical names of the lane, also hinting at the continuity of historyand its contemporary heritage.The refined emblem pattern is applied to the paving of the entrance plaza,while the famous residences within Xuanqiao Lane are recreated in the form ofscroll paintings on the paving, making the history of the lane readable andparticipatory.

3.2Suzhou Embroidery Art: The paving design intends toadhere to the principles of Suzhou embroidery art, which are "flat, neat,fine, dense, harmonious, luminous, smooth, and even." It extracts the"swastika pattern" and "endless knot" from the patternedpavements in Suzhou gardens, synthesizing and transforming them intocharacteristic bases and patterns for the site's paving, which are placed atkey landscape nodes. The atrium landscape draws inspiration from the arcuate curvatureof underground light wells and smoke vents, creating a Suzhouembroidery-inspired atrium "embroidery carpet" paving. This designsubtly传承Suzhou art, allowing peopleto naturally experience the delicate and elegant essence of Suzhou culture andart.

3.3Cultural Context Inheritance: Enhancing the refinementand cultural experience of the site's landscape through details at human scale.At the micro-scale level where people can closely observe, such as flower bedsnext to benches and paving, small installations featuring poems about spring bylocal historical literati of Suzhou (aligning with the former name YingchunLane and the site's renewal attributes) are subtly placed. This allows peopleto inadvertently appreciate the thoughtful efforts behind urban renewal andhistorical inheritance.

3.4The Artistic Conception and Spatial Sequence ofJiangnan Gardens: Limited by the existing site and architectural spaces, thedesign flexibly extracts spatial creation techniques from Jiangnan gardens,such as winding paths leading to secluded spots, a sense of anticipation beforerevelation, and changing views with each step, integrating these into thecurrent site conditions.

3.4.1Commercial Alley Space: In addition to the smokevents, the remaining 2-meter passageway presents a challenge where thelandscape design needs to address the contradiction between a large entranceand a narrow channel to prevent future congestion of pedestrians. The designreduces the size of the large entrance and transforms it into a scenic viewafter crossing a bridge. The 2-meter passageway is converted into a series ofdoorways inspired by the gate systems in Jiangnan gardens, enticing people toexplore through them. The space is fully utilized for outdoor private diningareas. By turning the contradiction into an interesting feature andincorporating the artistic conception and experience of Jiangnan gardens, thedesign enhances the commercial alley space.

3.4.2At the eastern entrance of the site, which is adjacentto the Xuan River, the current uneven embankment provides an opportunity toutilize its form in conjunction with the construction of a wharf to create aspatial sequence in the Jiangnan garden style where the scenery changes witheach step. The wharf is connected to the commercial underground entrancethrough a wisteria trellis, which also serves as a separation, blurring theusage spaces and increasing spatial efficiency. The south facade of the wharf'slandscape architecture is simultaneously crafted to serve as a view towards anart gallery, diversifying the functional and experiential aspects of thewaterfront wharf building. A riverside flower bed demarcates the wharf from thepedestrian and outdoor seating areas, with paving and flower boxes defining aquiet dining zone. The "Wisteria Corridor" at the eastern entrance,the "Plum Pavilion" against the wall, and the "Fragrance RestPavilion" at the boat dock collectively create a Jiangnan garden spacecharacterized by twists and turns, scenes within scenes, and the ability toperceive grandeur in small details. The visual materials used differ from theancient and worn appearance of Pingjiang Road, offering a fresh and novelexperience that blends the new with the old, creating a unique spot forvisitors to take photos.

3.4.3In the middle of the commercial alley, the innercourtyard of the hotel brings a pleasant surprise to the narrow alley space.However, the current space is long and narrow. The landscape design, inconjunction with the architectural facade, divides the inner courtyard intothree sections: the outer courtyard connects to the commercial alley, withsmall trees enriching the green landscape of the alley, and a doorway partiallyconcealing the inner courtyard; the middle and inner courtyards provide a viewfor the hotel's internal sightlines, which is inaccessible to people on thecommercial street. Through techniques such as mound stacking, introducing mapletrees, and creating water features, a serene and Jiangnan garden-inspiredatmosphere is crafted, with vertical changes and rich spatial layers, servingas a picturesque view for the hotel.