11. Tianjin Binhai Museum
A part of the Binhai Cultural Centre, the building provides an open layout and mobile wall elements, giving ample amount of flexible space to showcase artwork. Quite contrary to the interiors, the exterior façade is a stoic cube-like structure with a cladding of light-coloured natural stone panels and glass. The huge glass façades allow the visitors to catch glimpses of the art from outside as well, thus maintaining the transparency and continuity in the Cultural Centre. It’s a perfect symmetrical plan, could be a subtle resemblance to the Shi courtyard! The tree-like columns in the lobby add porosity to the structure and serve as walkways connecting the different buildings in the Centre.
12. Tianjin Museum
Tianjin’s terrain, being interlaced by canals and saltern water beds, became the main inspiration of Tianjin museum’s design. It is designed besides an existing water body, thus giving it all the more meaning. The salt crystals are abstracted into the cast glass façade system. The various levels at the entrances and the corners of the building, including the pedestrian walkways represent the ancient bridges of Tianjin, thus touching upon the history of the city. The roof is all the more fascinating since the walkways having the exhibits start at the base and terminate at the top into a plaza that is an abstraction of the city’s plan. Thus, a structure that itself represents a myriad of Tianjin’s characteristics is a must visit place on one’s tour to this magnificent port city.
13. Tianjin Olympic Centre
Often referred to as a “Water Drop”, the Stadium nestles comfortably surrounded by a water body and resembles a water droplet. Constructed by AXS architects, the stadium houses sports facilities, exhibition halls, conference rooms, gyms and a big marketplace. A magnificent 6-floor structure, it can accommodate 80000 spectators at a time. Thus, the stadium depicts the ideal of returning to the nature and reflects the theme of Green Olympics. Definitely, a must-visit destination for an architect.
14. TEDA football stadium
A football stadium with a capacity of approximately 37,450 spectators, is another spectacle to see when in Tianjin. The innovatively designed roof supported by the cables on dramatically curved truss columns, which can be seen on the external façade, is indeed an engineering marvel to experience. These columns rise up-to 50m and use high strength tensile ties to support the 29 m roof span. With such a heavy tension, it is necessary, to give a counterweight in the form of precast concrete nosing at the base of every curved truss column to negate uplift wind pressures, enabling the forestays to remain as slender tension-only cables. For people who are interested in seeing and expanding their construction knowledge, TEDA stadium, with its bare and exposed structural work becomes a perfect example to be admired.
15. Decade Café
Nestled in a quiet treelined and most prosperous Binjiang Road Commercial Street of Tianjin, a café designed by TOUCH design, is a unique cafeteria to signify a slow lifestyle, music culture and timely products. Something that encourages the timelessness and ethereal presence in this fast-paced world! This characteristic is very well brought out by the classic white-orange terrazzo, combined with a glass façade that imparts a transparency to the space. With striking linear pendant lights reflecting on the shiny surface, the café illuminates the entire street at night, thus casting an eye-catching presence all over! The name itself symbolizes the continuity of time and experience of past 10 years and the next 10 years, it indeed is quite a unique idea! So why not stop by and listen to some authentic Chinese music enjoying Chinese food and coffee after a tour in Tianjin!
As one can see, Tianjin is a residence for a plethora of architectural styles, which one has hardly heard of. Probably, overshadowed by Beijing, Tianjin, also known as the “Diamond of the Bohai Gulf”, never gets the limelight to showcase its mesmerizing history and architecture. But, tucked just besides the massive capital, this city stands its own ground, showcasing its beauty and offering a sneak-peak into the Chinese infrastructure, history and architecture quietly.
So, the next time you visit Beijing, make sure you stop by Tientsin and allow her to unravel her magic on you!