Lion Mountain at Shishan Park
Kuth Ranieri was engaged by Tom Leader Studio Landscape Architecture to design several pavilions for Lion Mountain at Shishan Park in Suzhou, China. The pavilions offer amenities along the peripheral ring road that encircles the park, as well as natural features and adjacent lakes. The array of projects includes the Flower Pavilion (a 4,000 SF Tea House), the Lake Pavilion (1,000 SF footbridge/bench), the Sports Pavilion (13,400 SF badminton facility), and the Restroom Pavilion (a 2,000 SF prototype to be replicated throughout the park). Each of these structures is distinct in its form but is constructed from a kit of parts, a common palette of natural materials and details, including local brickwork, wood roofing systems, and custom cruciform steel columns (quoting Mies). Each project is designed as a threshold from the perimeter ring road to the park, integrating the architecture with the landscape.