LSG was invited to provide a landscape master plan, for the Sudong Riverfront Eco Park in Suzhou, a rapidly urbanized area in east China. LSG led an international team of design experts to develop this 100-acre riverfront park, providing a detailed design for the waterfront, wetlands, community center and public parks. Unified by the concept of “The Woven City”, the design responded to this city’s historic association with the silk trade. In addressing park programming, sustainable technology and circulation, as well as cost analysis, the design brought together all the strands. The natural waterfront, urban garden, paths, boardwalks, sculptural elements, site furnishings and planting design present elements evoking the common silk themes: movement, natural process and manufacture.
The team proposed branding and at certain sites and selected other areas throughout the project for connectivity and interactive components. The master plan reflects Suzhou’s investment in the IT industry, as well as in its cultural institutions, allowing for rapid growth in which each element balances the other.
