Wuxi Canal BundWuxi Canal Bund

At the confluence of the Grand Canal and the Liangxi River, on the site of the former Wuxi Machine Tool Works — once the Rong family's Kaiyuan Machine Factory. Phase I reopened the old workshops in 2014 with a heritage masterplan by Kengo Kuma; team+ designed Phase II, which opened in January 2020.

The design takes the rock and crystal on the canal bank as its concept. Red sandstone masses echo the enclosed red-brick workshops of Phase I, while a luminous glass volume faces the canal, opening views to the water and giving the project a strong identity from the riverside.

93,000 m² in total: ten retained industrial buildings of Wuxi's national industrial heritage, four independent retail pavilions, a central retail block and the Canal Bund Art Museum — together Wuxi's urban name card. Media coverage has exceeded 300 appearances in two years, from local outlets to international titles.