Tianjin West Railway Station

The construction of the new western railway station in Tianjin was triggered by the new high-speed link between Beijing and Shanghai. This also defines the importance of the station as an interregional transport intersection that also connects with local rail services, long-distance and local bus services, and private transport. From an urban design point of view, the challenge of the design for the railway station was to link the two halves of the city of Tianjin across the river, the tracks, and the speedway to the south. A 57-m-high and almost 400-m-long vaulted roof stands as a symbol of this link of the northern business district with Tianjin’s historic city center. The arched shape of the roof gives the impression of a large-scale city gate, whilst the elongated hall is an arcade in the classic sense. The roof construction with its diamond-shaped interlacing allows daylight to flood the interior, which provides a high-quality ambiance as well as easy and clear orientation. The forecourt to the south of the station forms a large open area that does justice to the importance and dimension of the station. In this way, a railway station has been created that is sustainable in terms of technology and construction, and one that is highly functional, whilst at the same time it is a contemporary interpretation of a transport cathedral.