Tianjin, China
In 2022, DP Architects was appointed to work with the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (SSTEC) for the overall master plan of the Green Innovation Park (GIP), which will act as the city centre within Eco-City.
Tianjin Eco-City Green Innovation Park Master Plan by DP Architects, received an 2025 International Architecture Honourable Mention from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
In response to the shifting focus on implementing “Dual Carbon” policies in China, the master planning of the Eco-City Centre aims to pioneer a sustainable development model which will be a symbol of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Guided by Eco-City’s planning framework and Singapore’s sustainability experiences, the vision is to create a smart, eco-friendly, mixed-use central activity zone within Eco-City.
The key element of the design strategy is the Central Activity Belt called the Eco-Boulevard which is a continuously growing urban landscape that connects the Sino-Singapore Friendship Park in the North and the Z4 Light Rail station in the South of the city centre.
This belt comprises different hierarchies of permeable public spaces, complemented by a series of innovative infrastructures integrated with the latest sustainability measures.
The Eco-atrium is an enclosed indoor public space with smart controls for passive cooling and energy saving.
Eco-Veranda and Eco-Canopy are strategically located as circulation and node spaces, with sheltered walkways and event spaces integrated with BIPV glasses to harvest solar energy and rainwaters.
The entire masterplan is also conceived into three different clusters, weaved amongst existing urban green spaces and traffic networks.
The business portal cluster, located adjacent to the rail station, acts as a business development engine to create a demand for the influx of businesses and industries in the area.
Innova Green, a 60,000 sqm mixed-use pilot project of the region, is also under construction.
The Creative Living cluster is slated to be a living district that will house local and international communities with high-quality amenities and smart systems.
The third cluster, the Leisure and Entertainment cluster, located adjacent to the park and waterfront will be positioned as a new landmark destination for cultural tourism in Tianjin.
The overall design of the master plan epitomises a system of thoughtful and sustainable urban practices that interweave multiple urban clusters with diverse and flexible communal and civic spaces without compromising the quality of work and life of visitors and residents in the future.
It is with the hope that this master plan can be a perfect embodiment of both China and Singapore’s ideal for the blueprint of future sustainable cities.
Architects: DP Architects
Lead Architects: Tan Chee Yong and Tang Jun Hao
Design Team: Tang Jun Hao, Chen Shu, Ma Xinzheng, Yang Jiayin, Zhang Xiao, Song Tong, and Pan Peisong
Client: Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd.
Photographs: Courtesy of DP Architects
