They even have their own retail bar code, so that customers know they're getting the prized freshwater lake crabs. It's an industry that supports about 25 percent of neighboring Bacheng.

The Lake, just an 80-minute drive or a short train ride from Shanghai, is a weekend getaway and recreational hub too. When a new tourist center was planned, the Chinese authorities turned to architect Kengo Kuma. The Japanese architect interprets the culture and setting that surround his projects with a traditional aesthetic rendered in modern materials and often relies on aluminium.

The new tourist center that's under construction is classic Kengo Kuma. It's a 7,759 square meter building that faces a small marina for sailboats at the lakeside, rising above it with two triangular roofs pitched to open to the lake and then angle back toward the parking lot and access road. The surface of the roofs is constructed of long, thin strips of aluminium that overlap in layers to appear thatched, evoking a sense of China's centuries of ancient culture and forms.

The aluminium panels extend beyond the roof line, protecting the windows and adjacent exterior walkways from the sun and helping to keep the building cool. At the center, where the side-by-side structures connect with an outdoor commons, the aluminium panels cast intriguing shades of light and shadow, with their interplay falling below.

The structures themselves – one of which is also the marine transportation depot – continue the angular forms with an articulated base at the exterior wall covered in aluminium thatch, like the ramp that angles up to one of the building entrances. As it rises, the building's counterpart swoops even lower, with the aluminium panels dipping low at the corners to near human height. Between the two of them, they form the Chinese letter for the number eight, a good-luck symbol of growing prosperity. From the water, the triangular roofs of the Yangcheng Lake center make it look as if it had its own sails.

The interior spaces are walled in glass, offering views of the grounds and lake, with a wood-wrapped angular ceiling and walls. The beams above the tourist center deliver design lines consistent with the thatching on the outside, while bench seating and an atrium complete the welcome center. There is ample room for interactive exhibits, displays, and video presentations to support the tourism center as an educational experience too. A gift shop on the upper floors is tucked beneath the shady thatch, and offers visitors a chance to browse and select treasures of their time at the 20 square kilometer lake.

One thing that tourists may learn during their visit to Kengo Kuma's tourist center is the concern for the environmental protection of Yangcheng Lake – a shared sustainability focus reflected in the architect's careful design choices and "aluminium thatch" materials. The lake is one of the most important in the Jiangsu Province, and home to a range of fish in addition to the prized hairy crab.

Yet the popularity of the crab means there is concern about overfishing, and the quality of water in the connecting Yangtze River. Kengo Kuma's design is inviting, but also reminds guests of the importance of protecting the lake.