Editor’s note: This project showcases the comprehensive sports hall of Tianjin University’s new campus. Unlike the exaggerated and flamboyant architectural styles often achieved through decoration today, this design highlights the beauty of “construction” through its exposed structure. The space it creates is calm, simple, and rhythmic, offering a lasting sense of architectural “poetry.”
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Located on the northern edge of the campus front area, the comprehensive sports hall consists of two main sections: an indoor sports activity center and a swimming pool. These two parts are seamlessly connected by a large arched bridge that spans the street, integrating the public spaces into a unified whole. This design forms a surrounding entrance plaza that links the building’s east, west, north, and south sides.
The indoor sports venues are efficiently arranged based on their specific needs for floor area, ceiling height, and functionality—whether dedicated or multi-purpose. These spaces are stacked and connected by linear public areas such as halls, the arched corridor bridge, and swimming pool lobbies. This organization not only enhances the openness and energetic atmosphere of the interior but also creates varied roof heights and spacious, efficient floor plans.
The design explores the fundamental architectural units and structures under geometric logic, employing repeated modules to create spaces with distinct functions, lighting, and atmospheres. Notably, the public hall’s roof features a wavy, gradually curved form built with a hollow ribbed structure. Along the east side, a 140-meter-long elevated indoor track floods the hall with natural light, accentuating the roof’s shape and offering expansive views of the surrounding landscape. Runners on this track become a unique visual feature, visible both inside and outside, emphasizing the building’s athletic focus.
The sports field’s roof and exterior walls are constructed from a series of reinforced concrete elements featuring straight lines, tubular arches, and conical surfaces. This structural approach enables large-span spaces with tall side windows that maximize natural lighting. Inside, the exposed wooden formwork concrete texture adds a calm, varied aesthetic that defines the building’s architectural character, achieving a harmonious unity of structure, space, and form.
Instead of relying on decorative excess, this design embraces the inherent beauty of exposed structural elements, creating a space that feels calm, simple, and rhythmically balanced—offering a timeless architectural expression.
Technical Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ Plan View
△ West Elevation View
△ Section Diagram
△ Roof Axonometric Drawing
△ Process Sketch
Project Information
Architectural Design: Li Xinggang Architectural Studio
Area: 18,362 m²
Project Year: 2015
Photographers: Sun Haiting, Zhang Qianxi, Zhang Guangyuan, Yuan Huang, Huang Yuan
Manufacturers: Dongfang Shijue, China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection, Yihuida
Structural Design: Ren Qingying, Zhang Fukui, Li Sen
Project Award: 2016 WA China Architecture Award for Technological Progress
Design Team: Li Xinggang, Zhang Yinxuan, Yan Yu, Yi Lingjie, Liang Xu
City: Jinnan District
Country: China
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