The Qingjian Lake Landscape Greenway

Qingjian Lake is located in Suzhou and is an integral part of a robust water system of lakes and water channels. The project is envisioned to create a vibrant new, ecologically sustainable public open space and park for the surrounding communities and city. The goal is to re-examine the priorities of the community, the site, and the water systems establishing a new identity for the existing lakefront park: one deeply rooted in the natural ecology of Suzhou that also promotes the social goals of vitality, enjoyment, community, and nature to enhance the park’s urban value and image.



The new landscape design establishes a green journey around the lake. This journey sets up six key site- and community-specific aspects in developing the design. Three are based on the needs of community groups, and three are based on re-imagined existing programmatic architectural nodes. New routes in the urban fabric leading towards the lake are designed to promote education and a healthy, sustainable community. Each is themed to inspire diverse experiences: Exploring Ecology, Urban Creativity, and Community Exercise. These link and connect programs and activities as one moves around the lake. The lake edge nodes are envisioned to create distinct design responses. The lakefront developments and circuit are infused with new identities: Art Celebration, Dynamic Community, and Resilience Ecology by integrating the re-imagined architecture with social demand and ecological systems. The design creates a diversity of spaces, activities, and destinations.



Sustainability is paramount to the design. The project promotes hydrophilicity through an ecologically sensitive approach, improving the 10,464-meter shoreline. This strategy improves the overall water quality through sponge city technologies reducing water runoff by 50%. Carbon-neutral processes and energy-efficient systems are embedded into the design. The landscape design maximizes the conservation of the existing trees, ensuring that less than 30% of these trees are transplanted. Native species are prioritized in the planting palette.

The design of Qianjian Lake represents our commitment to sustainability and resilience with active social and community engagement. The community is re-energized, reinvigorated, and restored for the next generation through our re-imagining of the lakefront park.