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Architects: gmp Architects: gmp Architekten, Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Stephan Rewolle
- Area: 179000 m²
- Year: 2011
Text description provided by the architects. After a construction period of two and a half years, von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects (gmp) have completed
the Tianjin West Railway Station in China. The new intersection, which is located about 130 kilometers
south-west of Beijing, serves as a stop on the high-speed line between the Chinese capital and Shanghai, as well
as connecting the various regional lines and linking these to the underground network. The local urban design
function of the railway station is to connect a commercial area to the north with the old city center to the south,
bridging tracks, a river and a road in this city of 12 million residents.
The architects have highlighted the bridge function between the city quarters with a 57 meter high and nearly
400 meter long barrel vault roof above the terminal concourse. Its curved roof is reminiscent of a large scale city
gate and the long, stretched out concourse beneath of a classic place of transit. The portals of the eastern and
western sides of the curved hall are symmetrically framed by arcades. To the south of the building a large and
open station forecourt covers a wide area which gives credence to the importance and dimension of this railway
station.
Passengers enter the new Tianjin West Railway Station through the main entrances on the north and south
sides. Arched cantilevers above the entrances and tall window fronts convey an initial impression of the space
passengers encounter in the concourse, which is flooded with daylight, providing a high quality atmosphere and
clear orientation for travelers. Daylight reaches the concourse through the diamond shaped steel and glass roof
construction, and while the lower part is nearly transparent and admits a great deal of light, the upper part serves
as protection against direct solar radiation. The barrel vault roof conveys a dynamic impression, not least because
its steel elements vary in width and depth from the bottom to the top, and are woven together. Escalators
and lifts are available for passengers and visitors to descend to the platforms. This technically and structurally
sustainable railway station illustrates a contemporary interpretation of the cathedrals of traffic from the heydays
of railway travel.
Text provided by gmp architekten
