Tianjin Urban Planning Museum

The fact is that most part of the most spectacular and inventive styles of the present world architecture lies in China -- a result of the overture to the West and of the huge economic growth of the country. Some of the most outstanding architects of the world find there a good market for their projects and -- the most important -- for the edification of them. The architecture contests for major works happen consecutively, like what happened when the last Olympic Games took part. Recently, an original project of the Dutch firm de Architekten Cie was the winner of an architecture international contest for building the Tianjin urban planning museum.
The building is wide and ambitious. In a 29 000 m2 area, there are office zones, parking lot, conference centers and even galleries and painting factories. But the originality of the project is revealed by its conception. Designed in association with the prestigious engineering solution firm Arup Amsterdam and with the UNIT Architects, from Xangai, it has a structure and a shape which combines Chinese traditional materials and building processes with high-tech. The result is a real sustainable architecture.
The image of the building looks like mah-jong blocks because of the blocks overlapping and the existence of several free spaces, which are justified by accessibility motives, natural illumination and air circulation. Walls and roofs are coated with natural materials; the constant presence of vegetation; panels with crates, paintings and several decorative elements. Maybe the most well-done aspect of this project is the similarity with the Chinese traditional architecture.