Skip to content
FTA Group's Tianjin Zarsion Exhibition Center emerges from the twilight landscape as a sweeping organic form, its dramatic curvilinear roof describing an elegant arc reminiscent of a descending wing…

Tianjin Zarsion Exhibition Center by RUF Architects is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Platinum A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Competition Category.


PlatinumArchitecture· 2021

Tianjin Zarsion Exhibition Center

by RUF Architects

Client: RUF Architects

Platinum A' Design Award Winner in Architecture Category

225,918

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #114671

Colors

The Design

About Tianjin Zarsion Exhibition Center

Tianjin Zarsion is an exhibition center built beside a tributary of the Yongding River in Tianjin, China. The plan uses a water drop shape set diagonally on the site, which lengthens the approach from the city edge to the entrance. Deep eaves and large glass surfaces create a light roof that appears to float. The structure is mainly wood, supplemented by steel, and 68 radial red pine beams form an umbrella-shaped arched frame. Eight interior wooden columns allow a wide column-free hall. A leaf-shaped skylight is sized to keep the interior light soft and quiet.

The Recognition

About the Platinum A' Design Award

Tianjin Zarsion Exhibition Center is a Platinum A' Design Award winner, an extremely prestigious recognition granted to truly exceptional, elegant, and magnificent designs. Platinum winners are marvels of creation, testaments to the limits of intellectual creativity, and demonstrate the unmatched professionalism and genius of their designers. These designs are expected to be the most renowned works that define the aesthetics of an era, contribute to the well-being of society, and push the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Tianjin Zarsion Exhibition Center exhibits a transcendent level of excellence and unequivocally makes the world a better place with its advantageous and worthwhile characteristics. Tianjin Zarsion Exhibition Center is a Platinum A' Design Award-winning work that triggers desires, inspires, excites, delights, and sparks great joy.

Where to Get It

Industrial Park and Office Complex Design Services

We specialize in integrated design solutions for industrial real estate and office complexes. With over 900 completed projects covering 30 million square meters, our team combines global expertise with local insights to create innovative industrial zones that drive business success and sustainable growth.

Request Quote

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
Architects initially tried to use symbolic architectural language to establish a connection with the historical environment.

As to layout, water drop shape is placed diagonally into the site, which not only elongates the moving line from the city interface to the entrance, but also makes the shape more intuitive. The profound eaves overhang and large area glass applications create a directionless floating roof, which presents a charming tranquility with the swaying shadows of the trees.
Dimensions & Packaging
The interior 8 wooden columns and the 3 diagonal wooden columns at the front make the structure realize the 34.0mx14.5m indoor column-free space and the 3.7m outdoor cantilever.

The smoke-gray aluminum-magnesium plates, ultra-white tempered glass, small faceted spruce suspended ceiling and leaf-shaped exterior outline create an honest expression of microscopic stress.
Tags
Innovative, New Experience, Polysemy, Community, Commercial, Dynamic, Architecture, Interaction
Production Technology
The project’s structure went through three rounds of schemes, and final scheme is dominated by wood structure and supplemented by steel structure.

The concept of three rings is adopted. The roof uses the skylight and the beam columns to realize force conversion. The cornice is made of steel structure and the rest is made of wood structure to achieve perfect radiating effect.
Design Challenge
The project was completed in the form of wooden structure. The biggest challenge in the process of project implementation is the large span and overhang in the structure. After several rounds of structural tests, the final shape is umbrella-shaped spoke-type arched architecture scheme, which is formed by inner, middle and outer circular steel beams and 68 radial red pine beams.
Research
At the initial design stage, the external place is not clearly defined, and the relationship between the building and the place presents a sense of spontaneous floating. Along with the design development forwarded, metaphorical polysemy emerges. Architects use the cavities of roof sheathing and inclined beams as well as the cavities of main ring beams to hide all pipelines involving water, electricity, air conditioning and so on.
Inspiration
The project locates next to a meandering tributary of the Yongding River. In this vast expanse of grass, the external place is not clearly defined.

The design started with the roof, architects initially tried to use symbolic architectural language to establish a connection with the historical environment. This is like a crystal clear water drop quietly dissolves into the endless winding river. However, with the gradual development of the narrative, metaphorical polysemy emerges.
Project Duration
The project started in July. 2019 in Tianjin Municipality, China and was completed in March 2020.
Operation Flow
The building does not have a clear main entrance. Three exposed diagonal wooden posts are used to define the entrance space at the front.

To enter the exhibition space from the front, visitors will enter a lower transitional space under the eaves, and then gradually move to the space under the leaf-shaped skylight, which is covered with light. We deliberately control the interference of excessive direct light through the size of the skylight, so as to ensure the soft and quiet space atmosphere inside.
Team Members
RUF Architects
Lead Architect:Qian Mingbo
Design Team:Song Xinhua,Wu Meihong, Rao Zeming, Ji Changshuai
Image Credits
Photo Credits: Hu Yijie

Sponsored

Explore Beyond Designers.org

Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

The A' Design Award is an international, juried accolade for good design. Take part in the A' Design Award to get an opportunity to earn meritocratic recognition, gain fame, prestige and publicity for your work. Nominate your work for the A' Design Award and compete for the coveted A' Design Prize.

Nominate