Groundbreaking for the New Factory of ifm Suzhou
On April 15, 2025, the Suzhou Industrial Park welcomed the groundbreaking and kick-off ceremony of the new factory of ifm Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.Â
VIRTUARCH signs responsible for this project as Architecture and Project Management Consultant, leading ifm’s project though all project stages, from early feasibility till completion. Â
Starting from left: Ms. Chiara Dossi, Director of Operations of VIRTUARCH, Mr. Daniel HEUSSER, President and Chief Designer of VIRTUARCH, Mr.Andrzej Durdyn, Executive Vice President of ifm, Mr. Xinxiang Tang, Plant Manager of ifm Suzhou, Mr. Duncan Zheng, Project Management Director of VIRTUARCH
At the ceremony, Mr. Dirk Kristes, member of the ifm Group’s board of directors and Chief Operating Officer, stated that the Chinese market is one of the fastest-growing markets for ifm globally. The Suzhou Industrial Park, with its excellent infrastructure, innovation capabilities, and efficient government support, has become the ideal location for ifm’s new factory. He emphasized that the new factory represents not only an expansion of production capacity but also ifm’s long-term commitment to the Chinese market.
Mr. Dirk Kristes is giving a speech
Mr. Andrzej Durdyn, Executive Vice President of the ifm Group, also expressed his gratitude to the VIRTUARCH team, praising their professionalism and innovation capabilities, and recognizing VIRTUARCH as an important partner in realizing ifm’s vision for intelligent manufacturing.
Mr. Andrzej Durdyn is giving his speech
VIRTUARCH, as the architectural design and project management firm for the project, is responsible for the overall planning and design of the new factory. The project has a total construction area of 18,990 square meters. The site, stretching in East-West direction, has been divided from east to west into three functional areas for this first phase of the project: Office and R&D Building with Showroom and Staff Restaurant, intelligent production workshop, and automated logistics and storage area, achieving efficient production flow organization. A future phase 2 building will connect to the warehouse and logistics area, giving ifm the possibility to expand its building according to the market demand in an efficient and cost-optimized way.
The futuristic new factory, with its expansive rooftop solar photovoltaic panels, embodies a strong sense of technology and environmental sustainability
The office area features a double-story lobby with showroom and conference facilities, creating a striking suspended visual effect to enhance the company’s technological image. The interior design balances the lead corporate colour and technological image of ifm with a stunning room composition integrating traditional Chinese elements. VIRTUARCH’s skillful mastering of integrating natural daylight to enhance spatial transparency gives the space its unique vibrant feeling.Â
The double-height room composition
The landscaping design skillfully incorporates traditional Suzhou gardens elements, interpreting the spatial charm of traditional gardens through modern design language. The project is designed and constructed in accordance with the Gold certification standards of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), achieving international advanced levels in ecological quality, economic performance, and socio-cultural functions.
Building entrance integrating traditional Suzhou garden elements
With its extensive experience in industrial architectural design, VIRTUARCH is creating a modern, intelligent, and sustainable factory for ifm. As the project progresses, VIRTUARCH will help ifm establish a new industrial benchmark in the Suzhou Industrial Park and inject new vitality into Sino-German industrial cooperation. Looking ahead, ifm will surely continue to innovate on the path of intelligent production and embark on a new chapter of brilliance.
Leaders from ifm and Suzhou Industrial Park are shoveling the first soil
| Built Area: 18,990 m² |
| Design:Â 2023-2024 |
| Construction:Â 2025-2026 |
| Construction Services: Architecture Design, Interior Design, Landscaping Design, Design Management, Construction Management, Overall Project Management |
ARCHITECTURE | INTERIORS | PROJECT MANAGEMENT
ZURICH | SHANGHAI | BANGKOK
