Tianjin, China

Together with the client Jinmao Group, Ian Png and Woods Bagot’s mission for the Ianjin Jinmao Plaza is to vitalize the old factory into an engaging place for Tianjin citizens that inspires a new lifestyle while memorializing the local history. 

The transformation of the Tianjin Power Plant into a mixed-use center acts as a model of sustainable urban renewal. 

As part of a larger redevelopment that includes new office and residential towers, the five-story mall Jinmao Plaza will sensitively connect the original 1937 structure with a new building and expanded civic functions. 

An integrated design method is adopted to develop a unified proposal around the concept of “transformation” with architecture, interior design, and branding services.

The Ianjin Jinmao Plaza has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. 

The regeneration of this former factory into an open and engaging place for Tianjin citizens inspires a new lifestyle while memorializing the local history. 

Woods Bagot’s scope in the project includes architecture, interior, and branding to develop a holistic proposal around the concept of “transformation.” 

This approach refers both to the factory’s historical standing—as the first plant in northeast China to generate electricity—and to remaking it as a modern urban complex that integrates retail, lifestyle, ecology, culture, and education. 

The unique silo-shaped central entry leads to the river plaza on one side and the metro station on the other. 

The atrium is crafted of glass—showcasing the authentic factory structure and red brick while introducing a modern aesthetic and more transparent sight-lines. 

The original façade is retained as much as possible, as well as other heritage features. 

In addition, the design activates a large outdoor plaza along the Hai river to create a public gathering space. 

The burning of coal in the thermal power plant in the past brought pollution to the surrounding residents.

In order to properly transform it, so that it cannot only carry new urban functions but also preserve the historical memory of cultural relic buildings was the challenge. 

The juxtaposition of the New and the Old is the main sustainable design strategy. 

Renovation is a sustainable strategy itself, extending the lifecycle of the building. 

Old bricks from the original building are recycled as construction materials to reduce cost and waste. 

Old structures such as silos in the building are not removed but are renovated into iconic symbols of the project. 

The site itself is also an asset—situated between the Haihe River and the downtown and at the confluence of major subway lines. 

The facility sits in a long line of significant buildings and sightseeing spots over the blue water, including the old train station and garment factories. 

The overall arrow-shaped geometry links the old factory and the new building and connects two office towers. 

The Thermal Plant contributed to the China industrial age, and now will take on new life in a model of sustainable development for the City of Tianjin.

Project: Tianjin Jinmao Plaza
Architects: Woods Bagot
Lead Architect: Ian Png
Client: Jinmao Group 
Photographs Courtesy of the Architects