Here is a glimpse of Woods Bagot’s award-winning project Suzhou Yanlord Cangjie retail village, an architectural marvel that is nearing completion.

Suzhou Yanlord Cangjie is strategically located at the intersection of the old and new parts of the city, seamlessly blending into its surroundings. The design concept integrates an open and low-density retail street, embracing the area’s rich heritage while paving the way for its future. Seen in the newly released construction site photographs (below), the spread of gently pitched roofs is inspired by traditional Chinese architecture and complements the woven white-washed walls.

The project will play a homage to history by reimagining the old city’s network of small lanes by interlacing canals, bridges, squares and gardens. As a result, the central garden is a contemporary reinterpretation of the adjacent Classical Gardens—a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Christopher Lye, Woods Bagot Principal & Retail Sector Leader, says in his insight on Retail Regeneration, “When overlayed with a historic street or attraction, a retail street will enliven history with contemporary life. By emphasizing the site’s local characteristics with a planning approach that surrounds and radiates from the historic element, a retail street can gently guide pedestrians towards the attraction.”

See the progress photographs by Zhu Yumeng: