Stitching a City through Transportation – Chengdu Tianfu New Station TOD | Mary Harrods

Aedas recently won the design competition for the 'Tianfu New Station TOD Project'. The winning scheme was designed in collaboration with China Southwest Architecture Design & Research Institute, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd.

Standing in the core of Southwest China, Chengdu plays a vital role in driving development in the region. Tianfu New Station TOD project plays an essential part in executing this plan by shortening inter-city travel time to reinforce connection within city clusters.

The project is located on the East side of the Chengdu Tianfu New District with the airport and railway station situated 40-minutes from the site. An extensive premium park is situated adjacent to the project, allowing residents and users to revel in the panoramic view of the Longquan Mountain scenery. Distinguished by the design's seamless integration to transportation, the project makes full use of its surrounding landscape to establish a landmark gateway to the city. 

Encompassing a transit-oriented development (TOD) design, the development emphasizes the transportation hub as the central point with retail, office and residential space designed around it. Centring the design around the city's transportation system allows the high-speed rail station to be seamlessly integrated into the city. It also provides efficient connecting and transferring points to cultivate a humane and sustainable urban space with a convenient air-ground-underground transportation system.

The design is structured to prioritize the surrounding green landscape while integrating into the city to form a highly coordinated multifunctional urban hub.

Blurring the boundaries between architecture and nature, the glass panel roof maximizes sunlight and reflects the outdoor greenery to create the station hall into a “Light Valley”. A park, elevated pedestrian walkway and green space are designed in the project's core to cultivate a natural environment.

Natural light is integrated into the middle of the high-speed rail platform. The “Light Valley” sits between the platforms so passengers are guided by the light in the station halls when entering platforms on the higher levels.

 The high-speed rail station connects the North and South of the city with multilevel retail space and raised pedestrian walkways. Pedestrians are led by greenery to each part of the development. The design allows citizens to utilize the space and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Within the scope of TOD integration, the original train line and station has been optimized to cover the surrounding area to improve social and economic activity. The station area has also been greatly enhanced, and an integrated public transportation system establishes seamless inter-regional accessibility and convenience.

 The North and South sides of the station encompass independent traffic systems that allow easy access to the hub for passengers from all part of the city. This will make it easy to enter and exit without traffic congestion and shorten the distance to enhance the travel experience.

 The design is inspired by the Chinese mythic Phoenix. Illustrating the arrival of new opportunities and optimism, the new high-speed rail station resembles the arriving Phoenix resting on a tree which is resembled through the green space and railway parks.

 The North-South axis of the high-speed rail station is the highest point of the design. The East and West side of the design recede to mirror the two wings of a phoenix. The main entrance encompasses a spherical curtain wall that resembles the eye of the Phoenix. A curved glass curtain wall cultivates movement and a sense of lightness.