The new building serves as a key station on the Beijing-Shanghai S-Bahn Railway; it also connects local train and metro lines.
In addition to its functional load, the new station also has urban planning significance: it connects the old city center with the business district to the north of it. Previously, they were separated by a railway, a highway and a river, but now it is much easier for residents, and there are 12 million of them in Tianjin, to move around the city.
As a result, the station building acts as a "bridge" between neighboring urban areas; in order to visually express it, the architects marked out the main space of the station with a length of almost 400 m, blocking it at a height of 57 m with a huge glass and steel vault. This decision also became a reference to the "transport cathedrals" of the 19th century - the golden age of railways, which amazed contemporaries with the scale and thoughtfulness of their designs.
The complex geometry of the ceilings at Tianjin Station is due to environmental considerations. The side surfaces of the vault are almost completely transparent, through which sunlight enters the interior, and in its upper part, a significant area is occupied by steel structures - to protect the station from overheating, which is borne by direct sunlight.
The main entrance to the station is located from the south, from the end of the main space; there is a spacious square in front of it. From the north, the entrance is similarly decorated, and from the sides facing the path, the facades are made in the form of "arcades" on thin supports.
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