tianjin riverside 66 by kohn pedersen fox opens in china

tianjin riverside 66 by kohn pedersen fox opens in china
photo by tim griffith
all images courtesy of kohn pedersen fox associates

forming the centerpiece of tianjin’s redeveloped commercial district, ‘riverside 66’ has opened its doors, creating an important series of connected civic and retail spaces intended to engage the public. designed by kohn pedersen fox (KPF), the monumental shell-like structure redefines the connection between the adjacent river and the he ping lu boulevard, constructed from 22 seven-story high concrete ribs and over 10,000 panels of glass.

the design forms the centerpiece of tianjin’s redeveloped commercial district
photo by tim griffith

curving upwards from the riverside, the building converges with the opposing southern façade, allowing the interior program to engage the surrounding streets. envisioned as an ‘urban market’, the plan’s circulation is intentionally porous with frequent active entries positioned throughout. brands can occupy two and three story stone ‘boxes’ that stack along the pedestrian street, while a grand atrium at the center of the design operates as both a public plaza and vertical concourse.

curving upwards from the riverside, the building converges with the opposing southern façade
photo by tim griffith

‘the building itself is conceived as public space where the building intentionally engages the urban traffic and fosters user interaction‘, explains jeffrey kenoff, director and senior designer at KPF. ‘clearly the project needed to operate for a retail and multi program environment, but it also wanted to be a social network to embrace, represent and activate a local community.’

‘now that the structural frame is complete, to wander inside a series of curved concrete ribs is something like it must be to see a whale skeleton from the inside. herman melville would be inspired’, furthered james von klemperer, design principal of KPF.

see designboom‘s coverage of the project in its construction phase here.

the grand atrium at the center of the plan operates as both a public plaza and vertical concourse
photo by tim griffith

brands can occupy two and three story stone ‘boxes’ that stack along the pedestrian street
photo by tim griffith

the monumental shell-like structure redefines the connection between the adjacent river and the boulevard
photo by tim griffith

façade detail
photo by jeffrey kenoff of KPF

roofing detail
photo by jeffrey kenoff of KPF

the building is constructed from 22 seven-story high concrete ribs and over 10,000 panels of glass
photo by tim griffith

project info:

architects: kohn pedersen fox (KPF)

location: tianjin, china

client: hang lung properties limited
managing principal: paul katz, FAIA
design principal: james von klemperer, FAIA

director/senior designer: jeffrey kenoff, AIA
project team leader NY: audrey choi
project team leader HK: edwin lau
project manager: peter gross, AIA
area: 152,800 sqm
completed: 2014

photography: tim griffith

additional team members and contributors: ciara seymour, gary stluka, benjamin albury; bernard chang; hanna chang; saera park; shang chen; sarah smith; james kehl; sandra choy; thomas coldefy; javier galindo; onur gun; heejin kim; yoojung kim; ming leung; luis llull; manon pare; charles portelli; samuel schmitz; james siow; kristin speth; scott springer; kyle steinfeld; scott wilson

associated firms: tianjin architects & consulting engineers (TACE); local design institute; P&T international, associate architect; benoy, retail consultant; arup, structural; parsons brinckerhoff, MEP; ALT cladding, curtain wall; MVA, traffic; ADI, landscape; BPI, lighting; rider levett bucknall, cost