Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International

Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - SofaMicrosoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Image 3 of 19Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Table, Lighting, ChairMicrosoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Table, Shelving, Chair, WindowsMicrosoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - More Images+ 14

Suzhou Shi, China
  • Architects: PDM International
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  339300 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2016
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Interface, Gabriel, Yaohua
  • Design Team: Julius Kanand, Zoe Zhu, Roy Wang, Ann Cheng, Noel A. Jimeno, Lucy Quan, Gary Wang, Dan Dang, West Lu
  • City: Suzhou Shi
  • Country: China
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Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Image 8 of 19
Courtesy of PDM International

Text description provided by the architects. The 339,000 square-foot office building is a bright, energetic space anchored by a colorful nine-story atrium and a flexible workplace for up to 1,500 workers. It was inspired by China’s famous Suzhou Gardens and its caretakers, who believe in creating a space in perfect harmony with nature. The office boasts a huge cafeteria and ample recreational space, including an indoor gym, game room, outdoor sports courts, and health and wellness space.

Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Table, Lighting, Chair
Courtesy of PDM International

The team’s goal was to create a stunning, eye-catching design, one that emphasized Microsoft’s connected way of working and could help the company attract the best talent.

“The key metaphor driving the interior design concept was connectivity,” Julius Kanand Director at interior design firm PDM says. That theme grew out of the nine-story building and its large atrium, which is connected by a central staircase and bridge crossings on four floors.

Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Stairs
Courtesy of PDM International

The design team tapped into the rich heritage of Suzhou, a trading port famous for its classically designed gardens that date back to the 6th century BC. Suzhou boasts nine “Mountain and Water” gardens that are noted for their exquisite craftsmanship, artistic elegance, and rich cultural implications. A tenet of the design is creating a space in perfect harmony with nature, adding greenery where possible, installing a small garden on the first floor to anchor the atrium, and simulating trees in one part of the cafeteria. 

Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Table, Chair
Courtesy of PDM International

To create an impact and energize the space, they decided to make the nine-story atrium colorful and vibrant, using an ochre color scheme on the first floors to mimic the Earth’s ground, gradually transitioning to greens for tree canopies and then vibrant blues to signify the sky.

4th Floor Plan

The atrium design called for sixty different types of glass in several fading colors, each in a pixelated pattern as a texture playing off a computer pixel. Natural light streams in from the atrium’s clear glass ceiling, energizing the space during the day and calming it as the sun fades.

Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International - Image 3 of 19
Courtesy of PDM International

They created shared spaces close to the atrium to encourage people to take the stairs and use the bridges and to connect different groups. Team spaces were filled with dedicated work stations and contain their own meeting rooms and phone booth spaces. To separate team spaces, they created two open collaboration areas and then a wall in case a team needs security and access control for confidential projects.

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Project location

Address:288 Xinghu St, Wuzhong Qu, Suzhou Shi, Jiangsu Sheng, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Microsoft Suzhou Technology Center / PDM International" 13 Oct 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/880785/microsoft-suzhou-technology-center-pdm-international> ISSN 0719-8884

Courtesy of PDM International

微软苏州研发中心 / PDM International

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