In the industrial park of the Chinese city of Suzhou, around Jinji Lake, stand five public pavilion, five of which are newly buildt and the rest are renovated. An outcome of a 2022 competition, the two-floor wooden cabin – a work of the firm Shanghái Galaxy Arch – features a café, public restrooms, and an observation deck.

This pavilion rises on the spot of a wooden hut that was didapidated. It had been a much-used local hangout. The reconstruction combines traditional and contemporary design elements. With a structure of wood and steel, the new cabin – all of 400 square meters – has a metal roof, the corners of which curve upward gently to form the entries. The main accessways are on the east and south sides, and there is a secondary entrance on the north, via a ramp. The building rises on tiered platforms that provide seating while preventing flood when it rains hard. The wooden platforms strike up a dialogue with the eaves, echoing the ripples on the lake.

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Foto: Galaxy Arch