Shimao Longyin Leisure Centre

Shimao Longyin Leisure Centre is designed as a contemporary interpretation of Suzhou's traditional architecture. Three main courtyards arranged along the route generate what the architects described as a "symmetry and orderliness" that defines the character of the site. Large entrance gates open onto a paved outdoor space with a circular pond at its centre. Beyond this is an elongated courtyard containing a series of reflecting pools containing trees and a gravel garden. A pair of ramps sweep down from the entrance courtyard to connect with facilities accommodated on a basement level. These spaces can also be reached using stairs that descend beneath the surface of another large reflecting pool enclosed by the building's upper floors. The leisure centre's architecture references traditional Suzhou houses, which typically feature blank gable ends topped with asymmetric curved roofs. Its halls feature similarly sweeping roofs of varying heights and proportions. These roofs are covered with tiles, with the exception of a slatted metal canopy that tops the entrance pavilion. While the majority of the facades are simply clad in white stone or metal panels, the elevations surrounding a central pool are fully glazed to ensure the internal spaces receive adequate daylight. The glass curtain walls are arranged behind a ribbed surface that recreates the appearance of a traditional colonnaded courtyard. The main hall's gable ends are also covered with a delicate patterned lattice that varies in density across its surface.