FTA: Runner-Up of World Design Awards 2023. As the future headquarters park of BioBAY, SUZHOU BIOBAY PHASE IV PLOT is located in Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation Zone, with a total construction area of 520,000㎡. Adjacent to the future Suzhou East Railway Station, it is a regional hub serving the Shanghai metropolitan area and an important intercity node connecting to the Hongqiao International Open Hub. The project is the main front for the incubation and cultivation of the bioengineering and pharmaceutical industry, it can fully make up for the shortcomings of the research and development of the local biomedicine sector, provide biomedicine talents and residents with modern, humanistic and green research and development, production and leisure space, form a demonstration park for industrial gathering and resource sharing, and lead the future development direction of the industry.

Idea of layout: The design team seeks solutions from the urban cultural context, uses the old city fabric of Suzhou to create innovative blocks, and forms streets with courtyard cluster as the architectural space element, so as to create an approachable street scale with unique water town charm. In accordance with the “green ring” grand planning concept, the central garden is enclosed inside the cluster, and the vitality path helps realize the gradual opening from private space to public space, so that the boundary barrier between the park and the city can be dissolved.

Design concept: The architects choose to transform cold high-end technology into humanistic care. The project realizes multi-dimensional connection through the overall design concept of “source of life” with water and wood grain as the motif, so that the park is full of energy and vitality.  

Design language: The development of life science depends on human’s cognition of nature, the design language of the building facade presented in the form of water wave and wood grain patterns demonstrates the design concept of “source of life”, making the park more vibrant and vigorous. The square and dignified architectural form is simple and easy to use, while the design of the arc-shaped corner space harmonizes the solemn pattern, infusing the site with tenderness, and also enlarging users’ sense of space by 12%-15%.

Design details: After in-depth and systematic study and analysis of biomedical enterprises’ demands on spatial scale and functions, the designers rationally allocate the R&D space and product proportion and location of the supporting center and plant, and place the products of different areas and functions into the planned functional zones, providing R&D office space suitable for high-quality life science enterprises to settle in. The facade is designed with protruding metal panels, which beautify the shape and protect against sunlight and reduce air conditioning load. The circular shading grating enables the roof to resist the erosion of rain and light on the site equipment, just like the light and soft silk ribbon, which vividly shapes the “fifth facade” of the building, creating a refreshing and natural space atmosphere.

Technological innovation: In order to maintain the visual coherence of the overall facade of the park, the factory building and the R&D building are integrated into the facade design outside the VRV air-conditioning room, dark ventilation louvers are added in the dark recessed areas to avoid direct sunlight and maintain air circulation, and the opening and closing of the louvre blades also create a continuous visual change of the buildings.

Project Details
Firm
FTA

Architect
Liu Yu, Wei Yihang

Project Name
SUZHOU BIOBAY PHASE IV PLOT

World Design Awards Category
Corporate Design Concept

Project Location
Suzhou City

Team
Ning Quan, HE Yong, ZHANG Wei, YU Wenyan, DAI Xueru, ZHANG Xiaofeng, Xu Xiaoyan, WANG Shangzi, ZHAO Xiaokai, QI Wenhui, HOU Yachi

Country
China

Photography ©Credit
©FTA

FTA entered China in 2003 and has design institutes in Berlin, Germany, and Shanghai, Shenzhen, China.

As a design firm specializing in office and industrial real estate, FTA provides integrated services which include urban planning, architectural design, interior design, landscape design, consulting planning, and park operation. We aim to integrate global resources, technology, and teams and create influential industrial innovation zones.

Regarding the Chinese Industrial Park, FTA is one of the design institutions with the maximum number of design works. At the end of 2021, FTA had accumulated more than 900 design experiences and completed more than 30,000,000 square meters.

It brings value and a successful experience for clients who put high importance on the quality of the program that FTA’s focus, integrated services, and global vision.