The Suzhou Center is a landmark urban space within the Suzhou Central Business District that embodies the spirit of the city of Suzhou as a gateway for intersecting old and new cultural and historic heritage. The successful combination of high density development and ecological conservation will allow for Suzhou to transition to a garden city where the state-of-the-art sustainable development measures will become a paragon for responsible urban development. Through consistent planning of public open spaces and the high-quality landscape around the Jinji Lake, the urban landscape of the Central Business District will be seamlessly linked to the waterfront open spaces in order to create a unique environment in which natural greenery is in harmony with the urban setting. The design provides outdoor recreational spaces to facilitate the interaction and communication among between people and their environment, and to create an urban center that serves residents and visitors alike.
Work attributed to SWA/Balsley principal John Wong and his team with SWA Group.
SIP Administrative Center
Located on the east bank of Jingji Lake and on the east-west axis of Suzhou city, the new Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Center (SIP) is the primary work area for government management departments in Suzhou, China. SWA’s landscape master plan and design create a strong identity for the civic campus, which is located in a setting that integrates traditio...
250 West 55th
Lite-On Headquarters
This major Taiwanese electronics company chose the “Electronics Center” of Taipei overlooking the Gee Long River for their new headquarters. The overall concept is of a 25-story slender tower rising above a sloped landscape podium that covers much of the site. Below-grade parking slopes toward the river on one side, with the urban center on the oth...
Intercontinental Hotel
Located in the center of the vibrant Times Square district, this new four-star hotel (one of only three in New York City) serves as the base for well-traveled tourists, businessmen and dignitaries from around the world. As a unique product of the hotel’s branding and place-making strategy, the client asked that the courtyard make a memorable first impression o...