ECHOES OF STEEL AND SEA: Sustainable Regeneration of the Former Shipyard in Tianjin, China
(2025) ASBM01 20251Department of Architecture and Built Environment
- Abstract
- Global post-industrial cities face the dual challenge of sustaining growth while repairing damaged ecosystems. Industrialization has left profound scars on both ecological networks and the urban fabric, demanding systematic spatial regeneration and environmental repair. Among these, abandoned brownfields hold unique potential: they offer opportunities to reshape urban structures, restore ecological corridors, and revitalize civic life. They also embody cultural memory and emotional value, prompting designers to rethink urban identity and the spirit of place.
This project is set in Tianjin, a historic port city in northern China. The former Xingang shipyard, once a proud symbol of maritime industry, now lies in decline—fragmented in... (More) - Global post-industrial cities face the dual challenge of sustaining growth while repairing damaged ecosystems. Industrialization has left profound scars on both ecological networks and the urban fabric, demanding systematic spatial regeneration and environmental repair. Among these, abandoned brownfields hold unique potential: they offer opportunities to reshape urban structures, restore ecological corridors, and revitalize civic life. They also embody cultural memory and emotional value, prompting designers to rethink urban identity and the spirit of place.
This project is set in Tianjin, a historic port city in northern China. The former Xingang shipyard, once a proud symbol of maritime industry, now lies in decline—fragmented in function, ecologically damaged, and underutilized. Yet its surviving workshops, cranes, and waterfront assets form a solid foundation for cultural landmarks, public spaces, and innovative industries. By transforming the site from production to living and service, the project seeks to breathe new vitality into the city’s identity while restoring its ecological systems and reconnecting the waterfront with urban life.
This master thesis project proposes a series of adaptive and sustainable regeneration strategies that create open, diverse, and accessible public spaces, fostering interaction between citizens and industrial heritage. Beyond the physical renewal of the site, the project emphasizes co-creation of cultural memory, community needs, and future urban visions. By integrating ecological restoration and green infrastructure into the adaptive reuse of industrial structures, the project envisions a living landscape where history is preserved, ecology is regenerated, and new forms of urban life can emerge. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- Across the world, many cities that once thrived on heavy industry are now searching for new ways to grow while healing the environmental damage left behind. Abandoned factories, shipyards, and warehouses are no longer just forgotten spaces—they hold the memory of a city’s past and the potential to shape its future.
This project focuses on the former Xingang Shipyard in Tianjin, a historic port city in northern China. Once a symbol of industrial strength, the shipyard today stands quiet and fragmented. Yet beneath its rusting cranes and empty docks lies an opportunity: to reconnect the city with its waterfront and to turn a fading industrial area into a vibrant place for people, culture, and nature.
The design proposes to transform... (More) - Across the world, many cities that once thrived on heavy industry are now searching for new ways to grow while healing the environmental damage left behind. Abandoned factories, shipyards, and warehouses are no longer just forgotten spaces—they hold the memory of a city’s past and the potential to shape its future.
This project focuses on the former Xingang Shipyard in Tianjin, a historic port city in northern China. Once a symbol of industrial strength, the shipyard today stands quiet and fragmented. Yet beneath its rusting cranes and empty docks lies an opportunity: to reconnect the city with its waterfront and to turn a fading industrial area into a vibrant place for people, culture, and nature.
The design proposes to transform this site from a place of production into one for living, learning, and community life. By reusing industrial structures, restoring natural habitats, and creating open public spaces, the project aims to bring together the city’s industrial heritage and its ecological future. It imagines a waterfront where history and everyday life can coexist—where old workshops become cultural spaces, green corridors replace fences, and a new chapter of urban life begins. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9214517
- author
- Li, Mengtong LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- ASBM01 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Post-industrial city, Brownfield regeneration, Industrial heritage, Adaptive reuse, Sustainable urban design
- language
- English
- id
- 9214517
- date added to LUP
- 2025-10-27 08:15:16
- date last changed
- 2025-10-27 08:15:16
@misc{9214517,
abstract = {{Global post-industrial cities face the dual challenge of sustaining growth while repairing damaged ecosystems. Industrialization has left profound scars on both ecological networks and the urban fabric, demanding systematic spatial regeneration and environmental repair. Among these, abandoned brownfields hold unique potential: they offer opportunities to reshape urban structures, restore ecological corridors, and revitalize civic life. They also embody cultural memory and emotional value, prompting designers to rethink urban identity and the spirit of place.
This project is set in Tianjin, a historic port city in northern China. The former Xingang shipyard, once a proud symbol of maritime industry, now lies in decline—fragmented in function, ecologically damaged, and underutilized. Yet its surviving workshops, cranes, and waterfront assets form a solid foundation for cultural landmarks, public spaces, and innovative industries. By transforming the site from production to living and service, the project seeks to breathe new vitality into the city’s identity while restoring its ecological systems and reconnecting the waterfront with urban life.
This master thesis project proposes a series of adaptive and sustainable regeneration strategies that create open, diverse, and accessible public spaces, fostering interaction between citizens and industrial heritage. Beyond the physical renewal of the site, the project emphasizes co-creation of cultural memory, community needs, and future urban visions. By integrating ecological restoration and green infrastructure into the adaptive reuse of industrial structures, the project envisions a living landscape where history is preserved, ecology is regenerated, and new forms of urban life can emerge.}},
author = {{Li, Mengtong}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{ECHOES OF STEEL AND SEA: Sustainable Regeneration of the Former Shipyard in Tianjin, China}},
year = {{2025}},
}